New Delhi [India], February 23: Some evenings do not end when the lights dim. They linger… in memory, in silence, in the soft ache of something beautiful passing by. One such historic evening unfolded at The Grand Theatre at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), where a full house gathered for Mahesh Kale Live with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra – a landmark musical concert that brought National Award-winning Hindustani classical vocalist Mahesh Kale together with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, marking a first-of-its-kind confluence of Indian Classical music and a full Western symphonic orchestra.
The evening opened with Mahesh Kale seeking the blessings of his late Guru Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, and the audience, before beginning the concert with a meditative solo exposition in ‘Raag Jog’. As the next presentation unfolded, the Budapest Scoring Orchestra gently entered, not overpowering, but embracing the music’s emotional landscape with sensitivity and restraint. What followed was a rare and seamless union, where Indian melody and Western harmony listened to each other, responded to each other, and rose together.
The programme journeyed through an expansive and thoughtfully curated repertoire from pure classical forms arranged symphonically to semi-classical gems, raga malas, abhangs and original compositions by Mahesh Kale. The evening featured pieces such as ‘Lagi Kalejava Katar’, ‘Chaap Tilak’, ‘He Suranno Chandra Vha’, ‘Janaki Nath’ and ‘Jheeni Re Jheeni’, among others, each receiving full-bodied orchestral support while retaining its Indian soul.
Based in San Francisco and widely regarded for his ability to bridge tradition and contemporary audiences, Mahesh Kale has consistently expanded the performance vocabulary of Indian Classical music without compromising its core. This collaboration with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra represents his most ambitious orchestral exploration yet. Speaking about the collaboration, Kale shared, “The idea began with my music director friend Rahul Ranade, who suggested an interesting collaboration between Indian classical music and a Western symphony – something that hadn’t been done before. With Kamlesh Bhadkamkar, an accomplished musician and arranger with a strong command over symphonic scoring, joining the team, the project began to take shape.”
What made the feat even more extraordinary was the fact that Mahesh Kale and the Budapest Scoring Orchestra had met just three days before the performance! Yet, the synchronicity on stage suggested years of shared musical understanding. Based in Central Europe, the acclaimed Budapest Scoring Orchestra brings together centuries of European musical heritage with state-of-the-art analog and digital recording facilities. Speaking about the collaboration, orchestra CEO Balint Sapzson noted, “This is our very first time doing 100% Classical Indian music. This form of collaboration between Indian classical music and Western symphony, I understand, is something new, and that made it incredibly exciting for us!”
The music conductor of the Budapest Scoring Orchestra George Gulyas-Nagy echoed this sentiment, highlighting the unspoken musical bond that formed almost instantly. “We come from completely different systems… rhythm, scales, structure, yet we understood each other without words. Music truly is an international language. Mahesh Kale is not only immensely talented, but also extremely professional, which made this collaboration natural and effortless.”
As the evening drew to a close, Mahesh Kale reflected softly, “Happy moments are fleeting.”And fleeting indeed was this magical night… He concluded the concert with a moving gratitude song to Lord Vitthal, followed by the song ‘Kanada Raja Pandharicha’, inviting the audience to sing along. The audience then came forward to pay their respects, bridging not just musical traditions, but cultures, geographies and hearts.
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