Charles Dutoit conducts the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI)

The 10th Summit of the Alliance of the Asia Pacific Region Orchestras (AAPRO) was held at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA Mumbai this September between the 19th and 22nd September.

On the agenda were ways to promote Western classical music in Asia and strategies to entice younger audiences. While there is sizeable audience for Western classical music in India, its popularity is not growing half as fast as it is growing in other Asian countries, said KN Suntook, chairman of the hosting NCPA (National Center of the Performing Arts, Mumbai). He puts this down to a lack of concert halls, funds, government support and teaching facilities. As for drawing a younger crowd, Suntook is convinced that this can only be achieved if students are exposed to Western classical music in school.

Hiroshi Kuwabara (General Manager of the Association of the Japanese Symphony Orchestras), Maki Nagura (Secretary General of AAPRO), Wolfgang Schaufler (UE), Arai Kiyoshi (General Manager Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra)

About the AAPRO:

Devoted to serving the interests and advocacy of orchestras and ensembles in Asia Pacific region, the Alliance of Asia-Pacific Region Orchestras (AAPRO) was founded in 1996. Since then, it has contributed enormously to enhancing exchanges among its members, raising professional standards and increasing classical music audiences in the region. The AAPRO is a creative platform for its member orchestras to exchange with their peers around the globe. It also supports its members to promote their profiles in the world of music. Its affiliation, the Asia-Pacific United Orchestra, is such a vehicle that showcases the functions of AAPRO on the stage.