Helping notes

The renowned orchestra from Italy, Citta di Firenze, held the audience captive with their concertos and symphonies at a performance held at National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) last evening. The cultural programme, Toyota Classics 2010, was organised to celebrate the contribution of 20 lakh that NGOs CRY and Mehli Mehta Foundation received from the auto company.

The cultural night opened with a performance by the orchestra led by conductor Lorenzo Castriota Skanderbeg, along with tenor Leonardo Melani. They played concertos and symphonies by celebrated composers such as Verdi, Puccini and Rossini.

A special performance by the award-winning saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath added an Indian flavour to the evening. Four musicians accompanied Gopalnath on the tabla and violin and their rendition of carnatic music was well received by the audience.

The charity concert was organised by Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) that donated Rs 17 lakh to the NGO Child Rights and You (CRY), one of India’s leading advocate for child rights.

The cheque was presented to Ratan Batliboi, trustee of CRY by the wives of TKM vice chairman, Vikram Kirloskar and TKM managing director, Hiroshi Nakagawa. An additional three lakh was donated to Mehli Mehta Foundation, an education group that trains and encourages children to learn music.

“With the proceeds, CRY will work to ensure that children in villages and slums are provided healthcare, education, protected against abuse and exploitation and are given a platform to voice their opinions”, said Kreeanne Rabadi, Regional Director, CRY.

This event was a part of an Asia-Pacific initiative and Mumbai was the last stop at the eight cities initiative. “Toyota Classics has become a tradition of cultural expression, allowing us to share the world’s rich musical heritage with the people across Asia and bringing to reality our aim of supporting the local art and culture,” stated Nakagawa.