The eighth edition of the Arties Festival promises to be a wonderful experience for Western Classical music aficionado. Six exceptional musicians, a string quartet, a pianist and a double bass player will stir up proceedings at this three-day festival

The Arties Festival is back in Mumbai to give music connoisseurs a chance to enjoy a brilliant demonstration of chamber music. Now in its eight edition, the festival will feature a mix of veteran and contemporary musicians who will perform at the NCPA for the next three days.


(L to R) Yann Dubost, Hugues Borsarello, Gauthier Herrmann, Laurent
Manaud-Pallas, Samuel Parent

"The festival is becoming increasing popular every year," says Gautheir Herrmann, the cellist who started the Arties Festival in 2008, in collaboration with the NCPA. "I have been getting calls from two months prior to the festival for tickets; these get sold out pretty fast," he adds.

Herrmann, who first came to India in 2001 for a concert soon fell in love with the country. "There are many people in India who love Western Classical music, but I realised that there are very few chamber music events happening here," he says. The compelling need to make sure chamber music reaches out to a larger audience resulted in the Arties Festival in 2008. The bi-annual festival has featured some of the greatest instrumentalists and ensembles in the world.

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Along with violinists, cellists and pianists, this year's edition will also feature a double bass player, Yann Dubost, who is the co-principal double bassist of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. "I have performed with him before and he's very talented," guarantees Herrmann.

Along with Hermann, other performers at the festival include pianist Samuel Parent, Hugues Borsarello, principal violinist and leader of Ensemble La Follia; violinist Laurent Manaud-Pallas, the leader of the second violins of the Orchestre National de France; and Nicolas B ufffdne, the principal violist of Orchestre National de France.

Herrmann began learning the piano when he was seven but soon discovered his love for the cello and chamber music. He toured different countries and also collaborated with different talented artists for concerts. "Of all the countries, I feel Germany appreciates chamber music the most," he says. According to him, the idea is not to merely promote chamber music but to also encourage emerging talent.