The piano has assumed an elite and inaccessible stature in the minds of people. To break this belief around the instrument, The Academy of Music has organised a five-day national-level piano festival-cum-competition, MusiQuest, which started yesterday, November 23.

Inviting an international adjudication panel comprising renowned teachers/pedagogues from USA, UK and New Zealand, this festival would give the 164 participating students from all over the country an opportunity to work with eminent names on their respective pieces. “Western classical music has no exposure in India and that’s why I am trying to give it visibility on a national platform through this competition. Pianos have remained in the background due to their non-availability factor. But they are readily available now. Also, earlier it was only Christians and Parsis who used to learn the piano but today, people from across social strata are taking to it. Piano has become more viable,” explains Roxana Anklesaria-Doctor, convenor and founder of MusiQuest, while talking about this initiative, which is in its third year now.

The age group of the participants is between 4 and 44 years. Considering the large number of children, this year’s fest will feature two new divisions — Popular Music and Jazz and Piano Ensemble. “Popular music is included in our Academy’s curriculum too and I think it’s extremely important if you want today’s generation to be interested. If you teach them something that is 400 years old, they will get bored. So, contemporary music is a must and we are fortunate to have celebrity contemporary composer Christopher Norton as part of our fest,” says Roxana.

Despite the current rock-crazy generation being more inclined towards guitars and drums, Roxana points out how her Academy has 10 and 11 year olds coming to learn the piano. “And they are amazingly serious about learning. Like violin, piano is a difficult and complex instrument. Hence, you have to be dedicated and passionate, the two prerequisites for any musician. And these kids are,” she reveals.

The festival will culminate in an Honors Recital, which will feature the awards ceremony and performances by prize winners, on November 27 at Ista Hotel.

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