11 October,2026 10:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Tanisha Banerjee
Coomi Wadia
Music has been more than a profession for Coomi Wadia. At 94, Wadia's pursuit of excellence has taken Western classical music rooted in Indian traditions to audiences across the world. The Padma Shri awardee and India's first female choral conductor will be honoured by the Paranjoti Academy Chorus (PAC) at a grand concert, Celebrating a Legacy: in honour of Coomi Wadia, at the NCPA on October 21.
Wadia recently completed 55 years of conducting the same choir, a milestone that PAC felt deserved a celebration. "We decided that now was the right time to celebrate not only the milestone but her whole conducting career of over half a century," a member of the committee says. The concert will bring together the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) and old friends from guest choirs in Chennai and Colombo, performing some of Wadia's favourite music.
"What set her apart was her zeal to perform Indian music written in Western choral form, and to encourage Indian composers to write for the choral medium. She really embodies the choir's motto of promoting âInternational Harmony through International Music.'"
A perfectionist who expected her singers to give their best, Wadia was known for her extraordinary concentration. During a rehearsal disrupted by roadwork outside, when a chorister complained about the noise, she replied, "Why? I can't hear anything except the music!" Yet, "She had a fun side too and loved her choir like family."
The concert will feature three works by her favourite classical composers, including Bach's Magnificat. "She inspired a lot of Indian women to take up choral conducting, which is a traditionally male-dominated space. Everyone who sang under her baton, emerged a better musician."
