On Thursday evening, music lovers of the capital sat enthralled and enchanted at a musical evening held at the Stein Auditorium of the INDIA HABITAT CENTRE, which was performed by award-winning, internationally acclaimed pianist Ankita Kumar. The concert REFLECTIONS featured a specially curated list of Hindi film songs and Western classics, played on the piano in a sequence to bring forth various moods amongst the listeners. Songs to evoke happiness and joy, to celebrate seasons, some to evoke nostalgia and then high pitched, pulsating numbers to stimulate the audience to tap its feet and make them dance, and have them return home with positivity and confidence.
ANKITA KUMAR performed the pieces and explained as she played, the impact music can potentially have on our minds and bodies. How musical compositions can potentially change our state of mind and catalyse positive thinking if we permit it to permeate our senses.
Endorsing these ideas, Ankita performed classical rag based Hindi film songs like Jaago Mohan Pyaare, Pia Tose Naina Lage Re and Rimjhim Gire Saawan for the audiences, to depict the impact of classical music on the human mind. She went on to play songs in minor scaled like Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si and Nakhrewali, that she said could evoke nostalgia amongst people. The Western section featured pieces like River Flows in You, Can’t Help Fallin in Love and Phantom of the Opera amongst others. Ankita was accompanied by Jaideep Lakhtakia on the guitar and Tulsi Madhva on the percussion. The concert featured jugalbandis between the three musicians and made for an exquisite listening
experience.
The evening was presided over by the Chief Guest Shri Shatrughan Sinha (Hon’ble Member of parliament and Film Star). Also in the audience sat Shri AS Dulat (Fmr Raw Chief), Shri Neeraj Kumar (Former Commissioner of Police), Mr A S Dulat (Former Chief of R&AW), Tarun Nangia (Journalist) amongst others.
Talking of the piano concert, Shri Shatrughan Sinha said, “I listened to the piano in a different light today- as a means to reflect inwards and feel various moods with music. It is incredible how
music can impact our moods and can be used as an effective tool to ensure good mental health in today’s times of stress and competition. I congratulate Ankita on her performance and on an outstanding concert.”
About Ankita Kumar
She debuted on stage in 2011 Delhi’s prestigious venue Stein Auditorium ( India Habitat Centre) with her maiden concert SUMMER SONATA that was presided over by the then Chief Minister of Delhi Smt Shiela Dikshit. Ever since then, Ankita has gone on to render over 100 performances in India and abroad including at coveted venues like
the Indian Parliament, India International Centre, Alliance Francaise, India Islamic Cultural Centre, Ganesh Natyalaya, Talkatora Stadium, The Chinmaya Mission. Civil Services Officers Institute, Ganesh Natyalaya and the annexe at the Indian Parliament amongst other prestigious venues in the capital.
Ankita has performed extensively for the convicts of Tihar Prisons in an attempt to offer healing through music and for the betterment of their mental health. Other than this, she has performed in Pune, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur and internationally at The Nehru Centre, London on 23rd Nov’2023 for an expatriate and local audience. This was her second tryst with the London audience wherein she played popular Hindi film songs and Western classics to an overwhelming full house.
Ankita has successfully collaborated on various shows with renowned artistes like Mallika-e-Ghazal- Dr Radhika Chopra ji on the show SAAZ-O-AWAAZ featuring Ghazals on the piano! The event was staged at the India Habitat Centre in 2022 and received an overwhelming response. SAAZ-O-AWAAZ was then staged again at the India Islamic Cultural Centre and then at the Delhi Gymkhana Club in the same year! Ankita has also collaborated with award winning Bharatnatyam exponent Smt Dakshina Vaidyanathan on the show CLEOPATRA playing Anushka Shankar’s compositions on the piano and with Kathak exponents Era Dogra and Varsha Dasgupta on the show Sur aur Taal performed at Civil Services Officers Institute New Delhi.
Ankita has released two solo albums produced by music giant T Series namely Resonance and Melody Lane. Her music is available online on Amazon Music. She is the recipient of the prestigious Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti award and Piramal Trophy for excellence in Music. She also piano academy to train aspiring pianists in the city www.colorsofmusic.in.
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