A noted vocalist from Pune, Pandit Suhas Vyas, is all set to enthral the audience at the 'BRICS Vocal Concert' at Xiamen in China next week, through his Hindustani classical renditions. [...] "Getting an opportunity to showcase the Indian classical music on such a prestigious platform in itself is a great honor...Not just for me, but for the entire musical fraternity in India," he said.

Next month New York’s David Geffen Hall will welcome a visiting orchestra, on a tour including other top venues in Los Angeles and San Francisco. But the guest orchestra is not the Berlin Philharmonic or one of Europe’s other esteemed ensembles. It is the China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), which was founded in Beijing a mere 16 years ago.

Indian expat music lovers, corporate houses and diplomatic missions in China came together to form for the first time a cultural group called 'Chaiti' to promote Indian classical music among Chinese by holding annual music shows with top Indian musicians.

A new organisation called EMMA for Peace has been launched to support and promote music education and cultural dialogue across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. EMMA for Peace, or the Euro Mediterranean Music Academy, is supported by UNESCO. And, according to its website, the organisation aims to create a network of music institutions ‘brought together in the shared interest of music and the promotion of peace in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions.’

40 aspiring musicians from the same institution are all set to present Mozart Magic in India...Interestingly, the costumes for the performance have been designed by Indian designer duo of Parvesh & Jai and comprise traditional dresses kings and queens once wore.

It is surprising to discover how classical music performances are used to introduce foreign audiences to American culture. An explanation comes from pianist Michael Sheppard,..."The State Department probably uses classical music because there aren't words attached it," he said. "It's hard to be inflammatory when you're just playing piano pieces."

I met Madame Thai Thi Lien, the doyen of Vietnamese music, this year in Hanoi during the Southwest Chamber Music’s cultural exchange held in honor of the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Vietnam’s capital.