When you have the winner of ‘The World’s Best’ reality show playing at your show, there’s no way you can miss the evening.

Lydian Nadhaswaram may not know what a PlayStation is, but while kids his age are glued to mobile phone games and other distractions like social media, the 13 year old spends his time playing the piano, practicing for almost 6 hours at a time, and it’s this dedication and focus on music that has earned him ‘The World’s Best’ title at a reality show in the US of A, winning him USD 1 million (Rs. 6,90,12,500 crore).

Speaking all the way from Chennai, when asked what were his expectations when he entered the reality show ‘The World’s Best’, Lydian said that he just practiced the Flight of the Bumblebee (by composer Rimsky Korsakov which is known to be difficult owing to its chaotic and rapidly changing tune like that of a bumblebee’s flight) for the first round (audition round). “I really had no plans and only after going there and seeing how the show was done did I plan and practice. I knew the tune and only once I was there did I learn the arrangements and played it. I did this in just half an hour.” The kid impressed everyone with his phenomenal act and won everyone's heart. He stunned the judges - Faith Hill, RuPaul Charles and Drew Barrymore and 50 other judges at the contest by playing this piece in three speeds, 160 bpm, 280 bpm and 325 bpm.

Nadhaswaram will be playing his winning tune Flight of the Bumblebee on Mumbai Piano Day 2019 this weekend. He is one of the many renowned pianists to take the stage at the annual event which is curated by the NCPA and Louiz Banks with the support and initiative of Neil Banks of Gigatainment.

In its fourth edition, the evening will feature some of the finest pianists and keyboard players in the country, covering all genres from jazz to funk to classical, it will be an evening not to be missed.

Noted Indian music director and part of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio Loy Mendonsa will bring on some unforgettable Bollywood tunes, while veteran musician Ronnie Monsorate will rewind to the golden 70s. They will share the stage with other musicians like Karim Ellaboudi a classically trained pianist whose wizardry of styles, including Jazz, Funk, Latin, RnB, DnB and related genres has resulted in him being a much sought after artist by many well known names in the UK and India. There’s also Soli Nallaseth, a wonderful pianist who is a pleasure to watch. A jazz pianist par excellence is Aninha Lobo from Goa who has an FTCL from Trinity College London and has represented India at the Jazz Yatra in the past and several other international jazz festivals. While many would think a harmonium does not come under the Piano Day tag, we have Tanmay Deochake who is one of the world's most in-demand young harmonium players and a treat to watch.

Joining them on stage will be India’s ace drummer Gino Banks and bassist Sheldon D’Silva.

The day aims to raise the profile of the piano globally, inspiring more piano players of all ages and abilities as well as promoting piano playing in public spaces. 

Mumbai Piano Day has been celebrated by piano lovers around the world usually on the 88^th day of the year to match the number of keys on the instrument. Although, unofficially, we all celebrate the piano every day because we love it so much. Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.

If you want a fun night out, then make sure to book your ticket to Mumbai Piano Day.

If you want a taste of Lydian’s magic, watch his first round performance here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G1ibYMjlHM

Mumbai Piano Day

When: 14^th September 2019

Time: 7 pm

At: Tata Theatre, NCPA

Tickets: Rs 300 onwards on bookmyshow.com/events