Kochi: Piano fans in Kochi had an exciting event recently as world-renowned Moroccan-Hungarian pianists and musicians gathered in the city for a concert. The audience at JT PAC was treated to melodious moments with a new generation of artists from Kochi also joining the international performers at the fifth season of the Brilliante Piano Festival.
The major attraction of the event was the performance by renowned Moroccan-Hungarian pianist Marouan Benabdallah who has initiated the Arabæsque Music Project researching and presenting classical composers from the Arab world on the international concert stage. He has been invited as guest soloist by orchestras in Europe, Asia, Africa and America, and has collaborated with conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Zoltan Kocsis, Iván Fischer, Renato Palumbo and Tan Lihua.
Asked about his experience during the Kochi event, Benabdallah said he was happy to have met a few talents in the city and listen to their music. “I'm always eager to discover new talents in India and it's a country full of talents. There is a huge potential for artistic development,” he said.
The festival featured a folk music group from Nagaland and a musical performance by renowned pianist Jonathan James Paul from India. The festival, held at JT PAC in Thripunithura, was organised by the prominent educational group Choice. Jose Thomas, managing director of the Choice Group, stated that the goal of the Brilliant Piano Festival was to unite music lovers and the artistic, social, and educational communities
“For music enthusiasts in Kochi and JT PAC, this is a new beginning," said Jonathan James Paul, head of the Choice School of Music. Khyochan NGully, the founder of Brilliante's Piano Festival, expressed happiness about being able to organise the festival in a culturally rich city like Kochi, stating that it has always been a great desire to hold the festival in many diverse cities across India.
