By Harish Sharma
New Delhi, 19 Jan: Amid the crisp winter air of the national capital, the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival (LGMF) brought warmth, harmony, and artistic brilliance to Delhi through a captivating blend of Indian and international music and dance on 16 January. The 35th edition of LGMF, held at Baansera Park, Sarai Kale Khan in collaboration with ICCR’s India International Dance and Music Festival, was inaugurated by the Lt Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, in the presence of K Nandini Singla, Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), along with distinguished dignitaries from several embassies and cultural institutions.
The evening commenced with a soul-stirring rendition of Vande Mataram, composed by the globally celebrated violin maestro and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Dr L Subramaniam. Premiered as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the iconic song, this marked the first-ever large-scale orchestral interpretation featuring a full symphony orchestra, choir, and a vibrant ballet presentation—an unprecedented and historic artistic endeavour. Dr L Subramaniam announced that this celebration will be taken to different countries as a tribute to the national song and the motherland.
This was followed by a formal welcome performance by the Astana Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Choir of the Aktobe Regional Philharmonic, conducted by Maestro Abzal Mukhitdin, accompanied by the dynamic ballet ensemble Gakku. The evening then reached its crescendo with the grand Indian premiere of Navagraha Symphony, the much-anticipated composition by Dr L Subramaniam, inspired by the nine celestial planets.
The performance featured Padma Shri awardee Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam, along with her daughter Bindu, son Ambi, and granddaughter Mahati. Rooted in ancient Sanskrit shlokas, the symphony masterfully intertwined India’s spiritual heritage with the grandeur of Western symphonic orchestration.
The grand finale of the evening was Shantipriya, a landmark composition originally created by Dr L Subramaniam in 1987 for the prestigious Kirov Ballet. The performance featured a powerful and elegant ballet presentation by the Gakku Ensemble, beautifully choreographed by Gulmira Ordabayeva. This marked the first-ever live dance ballet presentation of this pioneering work by Dr L Subramaniam, uniquely performed by him with a full symphony orchestra and ballet, and it was met with a thunderous standing ovation from an enthralled audience.
The composition further enhances the legacy of India’s first and foremost orchestral composer, Dr L Subramaniam, whose illustrious body of work includes nearly 40 orchestral compositions and over 300 global performances and recordings—an extraordinary and unparalleled achievement in the world of classical music. This performance added yet another historic milestone to his remarkable journey of artistic firsts.
Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri awardee Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam remarked that this year’s festival holds special significance as it marks the Indian premiere of Dr L Subramaniam’s Navagraha Symphony. Notably, this is the first time a major orchestral work by Dr Subramaniam has premiered in India, as his previous compositions were commissioned and debuted by leading international orchestras and festivals abroad.
Established in 1992, the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival has emerged as one of the world’s most respected platforms for cultural exchange, spanning five continents, over 30 countries, and 75 cities. It remains India’s only festival that consistently showcases legendary artists from across the globe.
Following its New Delhi edition (January 16), the festival will travel to Chandigarh (January 19), Kolkata (January 21), Chennai (January 23), and Bengaluru (January 25).
