An hour of harmony at the Alliance Francaise de Dhaka

The harmony of cello and piano together is a match made in heaven. This Friday, music enthusiasts from all around Dhaka gathered to take part in the very best of music. The seats of La Galerie of Alliance Francaise de Dhaka were occupied. Cello-Piano-2 was sponsored by Berger Paints. Yulia Evdokimova by the piano and Philip Hazra by the cello worked magic on ears. Maestro cellist Philip Hazra has been playing a vital role to promote western classical music in Bangladesh through teaching violin, viola, cello and double bass. Yulia is a celebrated Russian pianist. These two magicians of tunes were celebrated not once but twice. The gates were open from 6:15pm that day and the authority had to shut it down by 6:45pm because of the shortage of seats. A good crowd with an abundance of human being eagerly waiting to have a shot at getting in. And the Yulia-Hazara duo did not let them down. The whole symphony was played again from 8pm just to ensure everyone standing by the gates of AFD could witness the musical madness. The show went on from 7pm till 9pm. From Rabindranath Tagore’s “Purano Shei Diner Kotha” to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” to the cello solo of “Sob Kota Janala”, the whole program was a treat to the auditory cortex. After a long week, one could not have asked for more. After the show, this Showtime reporter had the opportunity to have a conversation with Philip Hazra.Showtime: Let's get started by a very casual question. How did you come up with the idea of playing in the first place?Philip: It was in 2007. Gathered enough courage to give a go at Alliance Françoise. Working as the violin coordinator of AFD ever since.Showtime: Tell us about the previous programs.Philip: Cello-Piano-1 was a success. Audience seemed to be satisfied.Showtime: Anything new happening lately?Philip: Currently working in collaboration with Dr Sanjida Khatun [the president of Chhayanaut] on bringing about symphony orchestration of the National Anthem of Bangladesh. I already have submitted the cello notation to Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy with a bit of adding and cut-offs to the tough notations. I perceive high hopes for this project. With the promise of coming back with new surprises, Yulia and Philip bowed the audience with the hope of having them around again.