ON Stage is the cultural magazine of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, and features authoritative stories on the performing arts.
Features
Once built on the ruins of war, the Barbican Centre redefined how a city could live with and through the arts—melding brutalist architecture, civic imagination, and inclusive programming into a singular cultural powerhouse.
Music Education
For the first time, 15 young musicians from across India will join the SOI Music Academy Orchestra, marking a new chapter in collaborative music education and a celebration of talent, mentorship, and shared performance.
Music of India
The NCPA Mumbai Dance Season returns for its sixth year, offering a month of diverse performances, workshops, and cultural exchange. From classical to folk, this event fosters talent and connects audiences across the city through dance.
News
The SOI Chamber Orchestra is redefining classical music in India, blending tradition with outreach through intimate performances, open-air concerts, and global collaborations, making Western classical music accessible to diverse audiences.
Music of India
Mohammed Rafi's unmatched artistry defined the golden era of Hindi film music. From soulful ballads to playful serenades, his timeless voice transcended generations, embodying versatility, dedication, and an unparalleled connection with music and cinema.
Music of India
The Citi NCPA Aadi Anant festival celebrates the guru-shishya tradition with a Sarod Quintet concert featuring Amjad Ali Khan, his sons, and grandsons—a legacy of Indian classical music spanning three generations.
Interviews
Classical pianist Olga Kern, a Russia-born American virtuoso, shares her rich musical lineage, the joy of performing, and her upcoming Rachmaninoff-dedicated programme at the NCPA in this exclusive ON Stage interview.
Know Your Composer
From black-and-white Hindi films to video games to immersive audiovisual art exhibitions, one does not need to work too hard to find the music of the great Austrian composer.
News
Martyn Brabbins has been appointed Chief Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of India, beginning January 2026. His tenure, coinciding with the orchestra's 20th anniversary, promises to elevate its artistic development and global presence.
Music of India
An ingenious performer of the Lucknow gharana of Kathak, Rani Khanam’s art has risen to its exalted state through introspection and the courage of her convictions. Ahead of her performance at the NCPA, she discusses her life’s work and her thoughts on art, faith and identity.
Throwback Thursday
From sports to classical music and jazz, from aviation to architecture, and an abiding love for animals, the wide-ranging interests of Mr. Ratan N. Tata and his support for the same, speak of a man of compassion and fine taste.
Interviews
Ahead of his concerts at the NCPA, the distinguished classical pianist Peter Donohoe talks to ON Stage about how the piano became his instrument of choice, what concert-giving is all about and the works he is looking forward to performing in India.
