Magical Melodies: Street Piano Festival hits all the right notes

Morung Express News
Kohima | September 29 

The Street Piano Festival filled the Old NST Parking area in Kohima with enchanting melodies as various artists displayed their creative arts. This unique festival was organized as part of the Kohima Street Carnival by the Kohima Smart City in collaboration with BRILLANTE! the Nagaland Piano Festival on September 29. The Street Piano Festival witnessed live piano performances in the open from a host of performers of all ages. 

Partnering with BRILLANTE! to add more life and creativity to the space, the piano was painted by Allison Solo, Razu Rocus, Cynthia Kolakhe and Allisen Solo while Ologoc did the logistics and the art works were designed by the team creative head, Niwe Mero.

“The venue was visually captivating with piano keys painted on the floor of the whole parking lot, hand-painted street piano and other installation art piece attractively displaying the logo of Brillante for all onlookers to see. The event started at 12:00 noon and the crowd did not dissipate even at 5:00 pm when the last note was played by a little boy called Jabez,” Founder and Director of Brillante, Khyochano TCK who also managed the whole event told The Morung Express. 

The goal of this Street Piano Day was to uplift the community and provide the comfort, hope and beauty of life through music, and it did just did that, she added. 

It was also a curtain raiser for the third edition of BRILLANTE! which will be held virtually from November 19 to 21, powered by TaFMA, supported by the Nagaland Piano Teachers Association.  

On its third edition, Khyochano shares that they wanted to share the power of music to bring hope, goodwill and healing to the community by organising an event in the streets of Kohima. Through this epoch marking collaboration with Kohima Smart City, the organisers were able to execute a phenomenal event that was truly a ‘step-up’ event for Nagaland. The citizens of Kohima were treated to beautiful piano music, songs, string quartet and dance competition right out in the open, at the heart of Kohima city, she added. 

BRILLANTE! The Nagaland Piano Festival

BRILLANTE! the Nagaland Piano Festival is a convergence of local, national and international pianists engaging in multi-genre music through performance, pedagogy, competition, interactions, practicum (demos, master classes, workshops, etc) all in one venue. 

“For three days, we celebrate everything about the piano from its origin to where we are today,” Khyochano TCK stated in a handout. The heart of Brillante is to celebrate the history and impact of piano music, promote emerging talents and encourage the study and performance of the piano. 

The BRILLANTE! team with Ologoc club members.

How it started:

She asserts that in Nagaland, the study of the piano, as an instrument, is regarded as one the most developed and progressed of classical music study. This has given rise to more pianists in higher music education and professional occupation than any other instruments. Moreover, Nagaland was poised to be the centre of such a festival because of the overwhelming support and love for piano music from the community.

As a pianist and educator herself, Khyochano organised the first edition with a vision to making Brillante a hub for piano enthusiasts by providing a platform for all and encouraging the next generation of pianists. The unique blend of performance, competition, pedagogy in an atmosphere of celebration and finesse is what Brillante has been about.

Background of piano in Nagaland:

“We remember the passion and commitment with which the American missionaries came into our land with their pianos on the ships and over the hills and through the valleys; one such mentor and pianist was Ruth Supplee. We inherit the beautiful legacy set by one of our very first Naga pianists – Late Khrieü Sekhose, who would hand-write music scores because of lack of music books and sheets. Her hand written scores mostly contained hymns sung at the church which speak her heart and passion for church music,” Khyochano narrates. 

What happens at BRILLANTE!

• Demonstrate high level performance and teaching example/method (concerts/master-classes/workshops)
• Provide platform and forum for local teachers and students to explore deeper understanding of piano studies (master-classes/discussions)
• To provide opportunity for all deserving pianists to compete at a national level
• Explore various pianistic styles across varied genres

First Edition:

The first edition witnessed Tatiana Dichenko, Russian Pianist, Instructor - Furtados Mumbai, Pradyumna Singh Manot, Proprietor 12 Keys Kolkatta and Jazz Pianist and Nagaland’s very own Concert Artiste Nise Meruno as resource persons, judges and performers.

Prior, 85 pianists contending for a place in the state-wide Piano Competition out of which 35 were adjudged to the Preliminary Round judged by Bethel Tsuzu, Zingrin Shishak, Sahu Peseyie and Ezono Kithan John – all veteran pianists and renowned instructors of Nagaland. Yamaha and Furtados partnered and sponsored the winning prizes.

The festival was one of the first for the classical music community to come together and further attested the birth of the Nagaland Piano Teachers Association which is the apex body that was formed to maintain quality in piano education, seek and provide platforms for well-deserving pianists, regulate and organise events to develop and better teaching and learning experiences and also continue to build and connect the classical music community to its best. 

Second edition:

The second edition got off with a grand opening of the 100-Pianos Overture to Beethoven's Ode to Joy (4th movement, Symphony No.9). 102 pianists consisting of all levels from age 4 onwards performed together expressing their common bond and love for the piano. 

It was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister, Abu Metha, Advisor of TaFMA Theja Meru, Project Director of TaFMA, Hovithal Sothu and a host of teachers, parents and well wishers. 

10 competitors were selected for the finals judged by Natalia, Aman Mahajan and Visahu Peseyie. The event also witnessed performances and participation of students from KM Conservatory of music Chennai led by their illustrious faculty, Dr Surojeet Chatterjee. Other featured performers were Anubhav Sen, Palak Jatin Chauhan and Saveri Mishra.

Third Edition:

With the success of the first edition followed by national participation and attention in the second edition, we now take the challenge and opportunity to go international in our third edition this year to make Nagaland the “Piano Capital” of India, our goal is to access the community of pianists around the world and also be accessed by them, the organizer stated.  

The third edition will be an online one with state-of-the-art video and performance footages from different parts of the world as well as Nagaland. 

Going international this year, BRILLANTE! will be featuring renowned artists from different parts of the globe in the Classical and Jazz arena namely Marouan Benabdallah from Germany, Luke Jones from Wales, Monika Herzig from US, and Pradyumna Manot from India

Besides Live Street piano event, they plan to have an introductory video showcasing the host city for the festival an also conduct workshops/ masterclasses via video and zoom meet and host virtual grand concert. 

“Watch out for this event as it holds great promise to keep us enthralled and hooked by creative, innovation and excellent presentation,” Khyochano added.