Pune is set to relish some classical tunes as the Artie's Festival returned to the city on the 20th and 21st of April 2024. The Poona Music Society with Alliance Français de Pune brings this chamber music festival to Pune every year, offering new artists and exquisite music to the audience. Renowned French cellist Gauthier Herrmann, the man who founded the festival series, will also perform with other artists in this edition.
The event happened in Mazda Hall, Pune. It gifted a plethora of musical memories for the audiences to cherish. In conversation with Jehangir Batiwala, Honorary Secretary of Poona Music Society, all that the festival had in store for the music lovers of Pune was unravelled by TBC.
Artie’s Festival, established by Gauthier Herrmann, is all about the art and the dreamer. Artie’s Festival India began in 2008, aiming to bring the classical genre of chamber music to India. Artie’s brings together a collective of musicians who present some of the finest chamber music to the Indian audience in Pune and Mumbai.
Herrmann, the man behind Artie’s, discovered India in 2001 and thus began his love for the country. Initially, he came as a student to Pune and held concerts in the city. Batiwala said that Herrmann, who has performed in around 50 countries, has become a keen admirer of India to such an extent that he is like a native of the nation now. Batiwala highlighted Herrman’s love for the country in the way he kept on returning to the country with new musical maestros for performances.
This is how his motivation led him to fulfil his dream of establishing Artie’s Festival India in 2008. The festival runs on Herrmann’s core idea that the love for classical music is universal and is held bi-annually. Even though the pandemic brought hurdles, the festival series continues, bringing the 27th edition to Pune this year.
Herrmann also brings new talent to the fest every year, building opportunities for artists to connect with the music lovers of India. Herrmann’s Artie’s project is described as an amalgamation of music, kindness, curiosity and enterprise.
Chamber Music refers to classical music performance in smaller rooms or chambers. Unlike the huge settings and factory line-like setup in Orchestra, Batiwala explained that chamber music is essentially for 2-12 players who come together to deliver a performance in an intimate setting.
Gauthier Herrmann mainly performs and specialises in chamber music and has even dedicated his life to this genre. With his expertise in the specialised skills for small formation performances and the presence of Mazda Hall, a perfectly suitable setting for chamber music, Batiwala said that this combination is what makes Pune a perfect spot for the performance and appreciation of chamber music.
The wide variety of music within the broad genre of chamber music and the new faces that Artie’s festival brings every year also keep the music lovers of Pune thrilled to enjoy this classic experience. It is through its small setting that chamber music creates a sense of conversation like music performances and a close connection with the audience which, as Batiwala explained, also reasons out the success of the event in Pune.
The 27th edition of Artie’s Festival brought exciting surprises to Pune this summer. Herrmann returned to Pune with his musical collective of some of the emerging faces of the musical field.
Amongst this year’s artists were Mathilde Borsarello Herrmann and Hugo Meder playing the violin, Violaine Despeyroux playing the viola, Gauthier Herrmann playing the cello and Jean-Michael Dayez playing the piano. Hugo Meder and Violaine Despeyroux were the new artists of this edition and visited the country for the first time.
Some of the finest and most significant works from chamber music repertoire were performed in this edition. Major works like Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Quintet and Antonín Dvorák: Quintet for Piano are the highlights of this edition, Batiwala mentioned.
Artie’s Festival, 27th edition happened in Pune on 20th-21st April in Mazda Hall.
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