The rapturous movement of the violins, the soft sensuous tunes of the clarinet, and the twirling patterns of the cello will enthral the audience in the upcoming Arties Festival at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) from March 9 to 11. Since its inception in 2008, Arties Festival takes place every March and has matured into a platform for upcoming western classical musicians.

Gauthier Herrmann, director and creator of the festival will present a recital with musicians, clarinetist Olivier Patey and Violinist Mathilde Borsarello. The seventh edition of the festival will feature one of the foremost Chamber Music quartets, the Quatore Ebene (Ebene Quartet) that is rated by the Gramaphone Magazine as one of the top four chamber music quartets in the world.
According to Gauthier, a cellist, the performances are going to be different from last year. “It is going to be different in many ways. The huge number of concerts we are giving every year, the programmes, and the journey of our personal and musical lives reflects in our music,” says Gauthier. This year, the foursome will play Ravel quartet (been awarded many times for their record), clarinet sonatas by the legendary composer Johannes Brahms. It is said that in those days, the clarinet wasn’t developed until the completion of these sonatas by Brahms, whose work is considered to be a milestone in the history of western classical music.
One of the highlights of the festival is that it allows an exciting exchange of music between India and the world outside. Gauthier says that Mumbai has always had an encouraging audience. “To come and play in Mumbai is always a great moment for me and my team. First of all, Arties festival is an awaited event. People not only get to know us better and better, they are also writing about us through the year, and many people are also friends of mine now,” says Gauthier.
“We have already played in eight cities across the world and many others are asking for us to perform... We are even planning an Arties event in China by the end of this year. So, I can say yes, we are really happy with our success and the growth of the festival. But we will not stop working hard and will continue to offer new music to our wonderful Indian audience,” he adds.
Apart from Gauthier and his team, Arties will also feature Japanese pianist Akiko Yamamoto, and Shani Diluka, a Sri Lankan pianist.
Pierre Colombet, the first violinist of the quartet agrees with Gauthier and says that he thoroughly enjoyed performing in Mumbai last year. “Indian audiences have a ear for music. They are a responsive and appreciative audience. Performing in India is a wholesome experience. It’s not exactly a challenge since you feel like you are at home. Most of the times, we are under certain pressure, where you feel the need to prove something to the audience. But in India, we are absolutely at ease and it doesn’t take much time to adjust,” he says.
Reflecting on classical music back home in France, Pierre says that western classical music is not old-fashioned in any way. “Classical music has a different approach and is often stereotyped. But the image is changing now and more and more people are becoming conscious of classical music,” says Pierre. However, he adds that in France, even though classical concert tickets are usually sold out, the niche audience still comprises senior citizens. “We would like to encourage the youth to actually attend and enjoy the concerts. Though it may not be on the lines of modern day rock or pop, it has its own charm,” says Pierre, who surprisingly started off with pop music. “I’ve actually learnt classical music by listening to stalwarts and developed a taste for it over a period of time,” he adds. Indian music, however, is extremely complicated according to Pierre. “The subtleties, the intricacies are extremely complex and it is difficult to simply listen and learn. I love listening to Pandit Ravi Shankar’s music, which is extremely divine and complex, yet brilliant. I feel that it is something western musicians of today’s age won’t be able to match up to. I hope someday though we develop that kind of temperament, as it will be interesting to apply the techniques to western classical music,” says Pierre.