Dover Lane Music Conference

The Dover Lane Music Conference is an annual Indian classical music festival held in the month of January at Nazrul Mancha, an auditorium in south Kolkata. The festival derives its name from the fact that it originally took place at a location on Dover Lane, an important street in the Ballygunge area of Kolkata.^[1]

History

The festival had humble beginnings in 1952. Music lovers from the by-lanes of Kolkata used to gather in order to appreciate Indian classical music recitals. Over time, the festival has undergone many changes. Many stalwarts of Indian classical music have performed at the festival. The number of days and the number of artistes performing have increased, and a large number of sponsors are now associated with the event.

Venue and dates

Instead of the original venue on Dover Lane, this annual event is now organized in the Nazrul Mancha on Southern Avenue. The office of the organizing body is still at 18/2 Dover Lane. The music festival is usually held between the 22nd and the 25th of January (continuing up to daybreak on the 26th).

Character

The festival lasts for four days every year. Apart from established musicians, youngsters are also encouraged to participate and display their talent. Performances begin late in the evening and go on all night long till the next morning.

The festival draws large crowds every year. Its tickets are sold out within days of them being made available.

It has become one of the most important cultural events of the year. The festival boasts performances by a number of eminent musicians from all over the country.

See also

• List of Indian classical music festivals
• Swara Samrat festival

References

External links

• Official website
• Media related to Dover Lane Music Conference at Wikimedia Commons