By Antony Kuriakose The recent inauguration of the National Symphony Orchestra of India , under the auspices of the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) Bombay, is the very first instance of a national institution helping out the progress of western music in India.
In this context, it is interesting to consider as to how western music is faring in India, after 60 years of Indian Independence.
Despite the fact, that one of the most famous conductors of the western orchestral music in the world, Mr.Zubin Mehta is from India, only in the last ten years, the western music has been able to make some headway in India.
Another thing that is quite clear is , whatever is present of the western music, is today mainly limited to the metropolis of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata Bangalore, Goa and Hyderabad.
The positive aspect is that , of late, due to the popularity of western music in the TV, more and more learners are dabbling in western music.
Till a decade ago, barely a dozen pianos were sold all over India every year.
Today, according to a music expert, as many as one hundred., eight times the previous number is being sold and this shows that after a long hiatus, western music is catching up.
One reason could be that, of late import of any equipment has become very easy , whereas two decades ago, you could not even import piano strings.
Recently The Associated Board of the Royal School of Music of London decided, that it will have more seminars in western music in India to cater to the growing number of students in India - an increase of eight to nine per cent a year.
The representative of the Board, was very pleased with the proficiency of western music teachers, in India who can be examined up to grade Five.
In order to support them for more successful coaching for grades six to eight, the Board hopes to start a few courses from the Syllabus for Certificate of Teaching.
There are plans also to conduct examinations in Jazz here.
Also, a new website is planned for India, so that students can enter the examinations online The Indian Church music of today was also imported from West and is heard and played in every church and worship services, sans the rock and sway aspect of western music.
In Delhi, popular music was once restricted to 'crooners' in all the five star hotel night clubs or in total contrast, to small groups that met in homes for the more studied and practiced recitals.
Today, with the Trinity School of Music offering a rock curriculum in addition to the classical, the numbers of takers has leaped exponentially.
Delhi University too has for the first time opened up a degree programme in Western Music.
The world of international opera has known few, if any, Indian stars, except, Ms.
Patricia Rosario who, after training in the UK, kept to her career in the West.
But of late, the operas like The Fakir of Benares (2002) and The Pearl Fishers (2005) were both performed by Delhi musicians! In Bombay The Paranjoti Chorus was formed in 1960 by Dr.
Victor Paranjoti and, in 1961, became the first India choir to tour Europe .
Since then, the choir has been on seven foreign concert tours.
Its vast repertoire ranges from 16th century music to works by contemporary composers, spirituals and folk songs most often in the original languages.
Its musical director and conductor for the last 40 years, Coomi Wadia, took the choir in a new direction by inviting Indian composers to write new choral music, and composer Vanraj Bhatia has written three works for the Choir.
In Bombay there are quite a number of western music teachers too.
Cyrus Panthaky is everyone's favourite piano teacher in and around the Dadar Parsi Colony.
He teaches piano to about 40 students and even performs on some of the larger symphonies with one of his pupils.
In the same city Ms.
Jinni Dinshaw has also established a school where she trains children aged 3 onwards using methods devised by the German, Carl Orff.
The instrument used are smaller and better adapted for tiny hands.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations is doing its bit by inviting foreign artists, chamber and symphony orchestras, and dance groups.
Sometimes, the Indian western music groups, organize free workshops in association with the British Council.
The high cost involved in bringing teachers across from the Royal College of Music , London , are borne by the British Council.
Obviously such workshops can't be frequent.
On the instrumental side, the Delhi Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest Often numbering as much as 75-strong, and it has performed some of the most demanding symphonic scores.
The NCPA of Bombay, of course helps out by giving concessions for performance by western music enthusiasts and maintains a fantastic library of classical western music.
But it is a fact, that no exponent of western classical music in India has ever cut a disc or recorded a tape and whosever goes to west to train up for music, vocal or instrumental, finds it more paying and satisfying to stay back there.
The list of woes doesn't end here.
A lot of western music talent is siphoned off by the Hindi film industry .
as they pay something like Rs.
2000 rupees per day.
This weans away the talent away from the orchestras and sad to say the would be musician also becomes a hybrid Hindi/western music player..
The question naturally arises, as to what is the reason for western classical music not doing as well as Indian classical music.
Why don't our performers have a large following? Why aren't there any sell out shows? Is the lack of popularity due to cultural differences? Is it a lack of teachers, sponsors or funds? "All these reasons," chimes in the western music experts..
But now there is some light at the end of the tunnel and it is hoped that at least in the metros western music will always have a following.
