NCPA’s 50th Anniversary Milestone

Marking its 50-year milestone, the ‘National Centre for the Performing Arts’ (NCPA); India’s Premier Cultural Institution, announced its 3 days “ADD ART” festival showcasing a plethora of performances across various categories and genres therein, from the 29th of November to the 1st of December.

Aimed at the portrayal of its philosophy: “Adding Art to daily lives”, this festival celebrates 5 decades of NCPA’s initiatives and commemorates the wealthy cultural diversity and richness of Indian society through the ages. On this occasion, NCPA also released its new logo, marking this golden day of the history of the institution.

The festival, ranging over 3 days, was declared open on the eve of its commencement with an opening night gala on the 28th of November with an exquisite performance by the Symphony Orchestra of India.

Commenting on this special occasion Mr. Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman NCPA said, “We are proud to announce the NCPA ADD ART FESTIVAL celebrating the glorious 50 years of the NCPA. It has been a long and exciting journey for everyone who has been associated with us.  The 50th year milestone will serve as a direction for us to grow and be an integral part of the cultural life of not only Mumbai but the whole nation.  With our constant endeavor to project only the best performances across the country and internationally, NCPA is truly becoming a beacon of culture”.

The 3-day celebrations include a wide range of events. From performances by well-known Indian artists such as Amit Tandon and Zakir Khan to Grammy and Billboard award-winning artist, Arturo Sandoval, this festival has a lot to offer. It also featured the talents of the students of the NCPA in a very special performance. Spoken poetry features, theatrical plays, comedic-musical crossovers are some of the many activities one could witness this weekend. A special ballet performance from the Abay Kazakh State Academy Theatre of Opera & Ballet featuring excerpts from the works of Chopiniana and Tchaikovsky was absolutely spectacular and was easily the highlight of last night’s visuals.

Today, the 1st December, marking the final day of the festival, focuses on a very special event unlike any other. This event titled “Morn to Dusk” which is scheduled to run from 9 am to 9 pm, is an amalgamation of performances by Indian music legends such as Rashid Khan, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Aditi Mangaldas. The day is set to conclude with a sensational performance by Roysten Abel and is known as “The Manganiyar seduction” as it calls together Manganiyar musicians to create an environment of soulfulness and magic.

Besides these major events, the visitors can also enjoy the scrumptious food traditions showcased from around the world at the NCPA campus, peep into the various screenings, workshops, and lectures taking place, thus making the entire experience, a wholesome and well-rounded one.

To make your lazy Sunday a little more energetic, head to the NCPA and join in on the last leg of the celebrations of culture and heritage of our Mother India.

So go on, ADD ART to your lives!