With just a few musicians, the Kolkata Youth Ensemble was established in 2015 under the direction of renowned musician Amitava Ghosh. With the violin as its central instrument, this incredibly popular string orchestra has grown from a small sapling to a magnificent tree over the last eleven years. The organization now has members from a wide range of age groups and occupations, expanding its influence well beyond West Bengal and India to the global arena.

Nowadays, the Kolkata Youth Ensemble is an orchestra that can perform with almost 150 musicians, enthralling music lovers with their melodies.

One of the top string-based chamber orchestras in the city, the Kolkata Youth Ensemble [KYE], celebrated its eleventh anniversary at Rabindra Sadan with a lavish annual concert called Waves of Onze.

Salil Chowdhury, Asha Bhosle, Vidushi Annapurna Devi, Satyajit Ray, and many notable Western composers were honored in this musical evening, which was led by the well-known violinist Amitava Ghosh.

KYE presented a unique, expansive Vocal Symphony to honor them on their centennials.

The event featured a distinctive fusion of modern, Indian, and Western classical music.

Popular contemporary songs that Asha Bhosle’s voice first immortalized were included in the repertoire. These songs were presented here through instrumental arrangements, adding a novel and distinctive musical element.

The instrumental and vocal melodies came together in the second half of the show to form a brand-new symphony with elements of Indian classical music.

150 young artists performed alongside numerous well-known musicians throughout the evening. The Kolkata Youth Ensemble put on an unforgettable musical evening for all music lovers.

Prominent Rabindra Sangeet artist Bibha Sengupta received recognition during the occasion. Joy Sarkar sang Brishti Paye Paye, a song he wrote, while Indrani Sen performed Tagore songs with the orchestra, including Chokher Aloy Dekhechhilem and Tomar Holo Shuru. The audience was enthralled by Bibha Sengupta’s performance of the Tagore song Tabu Mone Rekho. Satinath Mukhopadhyay, a well-known elocutionist, hosted the entire event.

“Instrumental music has its own charm. Students of all ages take pleasure in learning and playing music. Music has therapeutic properties. It contributes to the development of a better society,” said Amitava Ghosh.

A great musical event for the music lovers in Kolkata.

Priyanka Dutta