All Strings Attached

A two-day music festival will bring together string instruments from around the world under one roof

The music emerging from the violin, veena, sarod or cello speaks a universal language that tugs the heartstrings of everyone. Acknowledging this, a two-day world music festival called "Strings of the World", which begins in the Capital today, will bring together various string instruments from around the world under one roof to create a musical experience fusing the East and the West.

"The concert is all about strings and will showcase several rare and dying instruments," says Sharat Chandra Srivastava, festival director and member of the Delhi-based band, Mrigya. He says the idea struck when he went to Norway for a performance. The violinist's own passion for strings made him come up with the thought, which he later discussed with the concert's art director Steinar Larsen, and that is how the event took shape.

The festival will bring together as many as 30 musicians from around the world who specialise in string instruments. It will open with a performance by 19-year-old pianist Utsav Lal, who will play Hindustani classical ragas on the piano. Besides, there will be Liu Guangyu from China, playing erhu — an instrument with two strings and a bow; and Dutchman Tim Kliphuis, who will belt out gypsy jazz and folk music on the violin.

Gjermund Larsen will bring out some playful Norwegian folk music through the traditional Norwegian Hardanger fiddle. The festival will also feature two-time Grammy-nominated chamber ensemble, Trondheim Soloists from Norway, while Delhi-based guitarist Susmit Sen will play a few songs from his album Depths of the Ocean. "It is a wonderful and novel idea to bring musicians from different parts of the world to play string instruments," he says. The festival will conclude with a collaboration between Srivastava and Trondheim Soloists, to bring together a blend of Hindustani and western tunes.

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