THE MORNING STANDARD harmonies/stagecraft FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2019 | KOLKATA culture performance

ing the world premiere of Violin No 1 Generation composed CLASSICAL by Austin Yip in the US, in the com- ing few months, besides teaching The Hessler Street and performing in . He is also working on an album of Duo will perform solo violin pieces, commissioned by CONNECT Austin Yip, Yao Chen, Michael- Elena Kats- Thomas Foumai, and Kai-Young Chan. Chernin’s Eliza The Hessler Street Duo will perform at Goethe-Institut/ Aria, and Yao Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata on April 30 at 6.30 pm. Chen and Austin Yip’s Miles upon — Vinita Tiwari vinita@new Miles indianexpress.com @tiwarivinita20

EXT week, get ready to embark on an aural journey across nations, countries and continents with the Hessler Street NDuo. Comprising pianist Jennifer Heemstra and violinist Patrick TS Yim, the duo in their concert from Patrick TS Yim Hessler to Hindustan, will trace the ancient Silk Road, which connected several countries across Asia, Africa and Europe, to create a be accompanied by artist Viraag Road, Yao Chen is from China, the too far from the Hessler Street, channel that facilitated the silk Desai’s media art installations. place where it originates, and which inspired the name, trade as well as the exchange of While Jennifer has been quite a Austin Yip is from Hong Kong, Hessler Street Duo. information between cultures. regular with her piano recitals which recently organised an “The street represents a time The public performance at in the city — having formed the exhibition for the Hong Kong and place in our lives that has Goethe-Institut will witness the Kolkata Classics trust in 2014, Museum of History called Miles shaped each of us into the musi- India premiere of Elena Kats- which has hosted as many as 80 Upon Miles: World Heritage along cians we are today, and the name Chernin’s Eliza Aria, as well as a concerts in Kolkata so far — this the Silk Road. The music pieces pays homage to our former music piece inspired by the Silk will be violinist Patrick Yim’s first by Yao Chen and Austin Yip were home and school,” reveals Road called Miles upon Miles, com- performance in Kolkata. commissioned as a part of the Patrick, who also teaches posed by Yao Chen and Austin Yip. “This performance is a part of a exhibition. music at Hong Kong Baptist Alongside, the performance concert series across India, Dubai, “I discovered Elena’s music in University. will also include ’s and Dushanbe,” says Jennifer, 2018, and we have premiered her “It will be exciting to see how an Sonata for Piano and Violin, a short the organiser of the event, who works in Washington as well as in Indian audience will receive love song by Mexican composer, currently resides in Tajikistan. Dushanbe,” reveals Jennifer. these works, given that India Manuel Ponce and The Jazz Suite While Elena Kats-Chernin is Both Jennifer and Patrick were also features on the ancient No 1 by Russian composer, Dmitri a composer and pianist from students of Cleveland Institute of Silk Road,” he adds. Shostakovich. The recital will also Uzbekistan, a stop along the Silk Music, an institution that is not Patrick will be perform- Jennifer Heemstra

curtain call People are either silenced into action, or they are confused about their own stance,” explains the Before Mahabharata: director. “None of the characters in my play are larger-than-life or blind-sided by war superheroes. Instead, there is a deliberate attempt to show them as normal human beings with Natadha revisits the mythological tale to flaws. For example, Uttora (played shed light on the lead up to the epic battle by Upabela Pal) and Abhimanyu (played by Rishav Basu) — both NATADHA, one of the oldest of whom are misfits in this theatre groups in Kolkata, has scenario — question the validity come up with its second magnum of violen