About Us

About The Society

The Delhi Music Society (DMS) is a voluntary, non-profit organisation devoted to the dissemination and enjoyment of music, especially western classical music. It was registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860-Regd. No. S-690 of 1953-54, with the primary objectives described below:

  • to promote and encourage music and dance,
  • to arrange concerts and recitals by visiting and local artistes, and
  • to collaborate with other similar cultural organisations to encourage and develop among the musically inclined, an appreciation and understanding of western classical music.

Over the years, many eminent persons have been associated with the Society as office bearers and active members. They include Rakjumari Amrit Kaur, Mrs Indira Gandhi, Dr. Narayana Menon, Dr. Karan Singh, Mrs. Pushpa Hidayatullah and Sardar Amarjit Singh, among others.

The Society collaborates with institutions such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the India International Centre, the India Habitat Centre and cultural divisions/organisations of various foreign missions. It also sponsors and presents its own concerts. By networking with music societies in Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Calcutta and Bangalore, the Society sometimes arranges all-India tours for visiting artistes. Many internationally reputed performers from all over the world have been presented by the Society over the last five and a half decades.

Over the years, many eminent persons have been associated with the Society as office bearers and active members. They include Rakjumari Amrit Kaur, Mrs Indira Gandhi, Dr. Narayana Menon, Dr. Karan Singh, Mrs. Pushpa Hidayatullah and Sardar Amarjit Singh, among others.

The Society collaborates with institutions like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Indian International Centre, and cultural divisions/organisations of various foreign missions. It also on occasions, sponsors and presents its own concerts. By networking with music societies in Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Calcutta and Bangalore, the Society sometimes arranges all-India tours for visiting artistes. Many internationally reputed performers from all over the world have been presented by the Society over the last five and a half decades.

These have included in the early years, leading orchestras under the baton of Sir Malcolm Sargent, Herbert von Karajan, Istvan Kertesz and Zubin Mehta, to name a few. Distinguished pianists such as Wilhelm Kempff, Rudolf Serkin, Claudio Arrau, Paul Badura-Skoda and Ruth Slenczynska, violinists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, Igor Oistrakh and more recently Alberto Lysy, cellists Janos Starker and Mstislav Rostropovich, and vocalists Mahalia Jackson, Marian Anderson and Elly Ameling are among those who have delighted Delhi audiences thanks to the efforts of the society.

The Society has also presented several chamber ensembles and smaller orchestras. These include the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, the London Schubert Players, the Kirov Orchestra, the Salzburg Mozart Players and the Musica Antiqua Roma and choirs such as that of the Collegium Musicuum of Bremen, the Dresdener Kammerchor and the Ensemble Vocal du Brabant Wallon of Belgium. Increasingly the Society is trying to lay stress on performances by local artistes. The Society celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2003-04 with a series of special concerts including:

  • A special performance by the Mainardi Trio from England
  • A Piano Duo by Prof. Ladislav Bayonov and Dorothy Uytengsu
  • A Piano- Violin recital by eminent Indian nuclear scientist, the late Dr Raja Ramanna (piano) and the young Indian violinist, Ananth Kamath
  • A recital by the internationally known, Polish pianist, Raphael-Alexandre Lustchevsky
  • A special performance of Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony by Hungarian pianist, Adam Fellegi
  • A piano performance of Ukranian music by Iryina Riabchum
  • A concert by the students of the Delhi School of Music
  • Some highlights of the most recent years are:
  • A concert by The Strings - a four member ladies' quartet from Poland
  • A Piano recitals by Christopher Ungerer, Boris Berman, head of the Piano Department at the Yale School of Music, and young Pallavi Mahidhara (all from the USA), Czech artiste Libro Novacek II, Paul Stewart from Canada
  • In-house concerts by the fledgling Students' Orchestra of the School Guitar concerts by Roger Zimmermann of Germany
  • An evening celebrating Mozart - 250 years by Delhi Opera Ensemble ''Classical Maestri'',
  • A concert of European Classical music by Concerto Avena in collaboration with the Embassy of Poland and Sangeet Natak
  • A kademi Workshops for piano, guitar and violin students by distinguished visiting artistes, including Laura Goldberg (Violin) and Steven Masi (Piano), both from the U.S.A.

Attempts will continue to be made to make available live performances of music by first-rate artistes for the general public in the city and to make our Society's premises a centre for western classical music. The Society in conjunction with The Delhi School of Music will continue to arrange lecture-demonstrations and workshops on various aspects of music. A library-cum-listening facility is also available for members.

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