Jini Dinshaw birth anniversary: 'Miss Jini would often teach students for free'

It is a humid Sunday afternoon at the Alexandra Girlsrsquo English Institution in Fort as conductor Ernst Hoetzl guides The Bombay Chamber Orchestra BCO through a Mozart Requiem Poignant especially as Hoetzl will be leading the orchestra alongside the Cathedral Choir into their first performance in the postJini Dinshaw 19302025 periodSince 1962 Dinshaw or lsquoMiss Jinirsquo to her students has been synonymous with The BCO It was her determination resourcefulness and guidance that kept it going Her passing in 2025 marked a run that saw the Orchestra become the oldest in the country ldquoShe was somethingrdquo recalls Alannah Fernandes violinist who was once tasked with playing the cello in an emergencyFrom Left Jini Dinshaw during her days in London Dinshaw teaches a group of students British High Commissioner to India Sir Robert WadeGery presents the MBE to Jini Dinshaw in 1985 Pics CourtesyJINI DINSHAWrsquoS PRIVATE COLLECTIONldquoWhen she asked you to do something you did itrdquo Fernandes says This was not just for the novices ldquoMy children were Jinirsquos students first My instrument is the piano But when the orchestra needed someone on percussion the timpani Jini asked me to step in Thatrsquos how I joined the orchestrardquo Bomi Billimoria recallsBetween working on the music and overseeing proofs of the coffee table book on the founder that will be released at the concert orchestra seniors and committee heads Freddy Dinshaw Bomi Billimoria Alaric Diniz and Zubin BehramKamdin sit down for an Arts AddaThe orchestra rehearses for the memorial concert at the Alexandra English School inset an orchestra member plays the French horn during the rehearsal PicsAtul KambleExcerpts from the interviewHow would you define the legacy of Jini DinshawAlaric Diniz The key legacy she left behind is her passion for music and inclusiveness very often teaching students for freeFreddy Dinshaw She was an indomitable woman and would not tolerate any nonsense With that in mind she kept pushing against the odds teaching students in multiple instrumentsErnst Hoetzl right conducts the orchestra Hoetzl was first invited by Jini Dinshaw to lead the orchestra in 1986 He has conducted her as concert master cellist and a viola player over the course of 40 yearsThis educational setup is what makes the BCO differenthellipAlaric Diniz According to me she provided through the structure and network of the orchestra an avenue for teachers to teach and for students to learn This ecosystem is selfsustainingBehramKamdin In Europe or America every town or college has a local orchestra Here the BCO helps bring people together teach and promote Western Classical music which is still viewed as a hobby for the fewBomi Billimoria and Alaric DinizIn her absence now how does the orchestra cope with the changeBomi Billimoria I donrsquot think anything changes Jinirsquos absence will be felt But there are youngsters who have worked with her and have now become a part of the institution and its functionsThis requires an infusion of new blood Is the view of Western Classical as a niche or high art changingBillimoria I am particularly encouraged by the recent past We have more youngsters joining in and attending concerts There is also more diversityDiniz Music is a language Once you know the basics you can choose to write poetry or prose We have performed everything from ABBA to Mozart with choirs soloists and international orchestrasThe cello section of the BCO rehearses an arrangementIn that case if there is one philosophy of Jini Dinshawrsquos that you would like to carry forwardBillimoria Perseverance Her will to never give up But going forward we need to ensure that the local enthusiasm for the orchestra remains vibrant This will continue the tradition Diniz I hope she will still appreciate the quality of our playing She remained a teacher to the end We are doctors lawyers engineers among the orchestra but she never let our standards dip We hope to continue thatlsquoShe was the queen of the BCOrsquoMy first interaction with her was as a young pianist I was performing at the Little Theatre in NCPA back in 1985 She later asked me if I would like to perform with the Orchestra In 1986 I conducted the BCO for the first time This is my 40th year with themFreddy Dinshaw and Zubin BehramKamdinHer legacy is that she enhanced the interest in Western Classical Music in the city She was the integrative power of the BCO We can compare her to Queen Elizabeth II An institution by herself But the monarchy continues Ernst Hoetzl guest conductor BCOTimeline of the Orchestragtgt 1962Jini Dinshaw returns from London and establishes The Bombay Chamber Orchestragtgt 1984The Orchestra performs alongside the Milan Opera Company on The Marriage of Figaro Prime Minister Indira Gandhi attends the last show days before her assassinationgtgt 1985BCO is the first Indian orchestra to perform for the televised live ballet Giselle by the Royal Ballet Co of the United Kingdomgtgt 1985Jini Dinshaw receives an Member of Order of the British Empire MBEON August 9 630 pmAT Ravindra Natya Mandir PL Deshpande Auditorium PrabhadeviLOG ON TO inbookmyshowcomENTRY Rs 800 onwards