Sir Mark Elder: Indian orchestras can grow by blending cultures and engaging communities

Be hardworking. Be committed. Be driven. Be absolutely clear that this is what you want to do because it can be very demanding. Also be patient and believe in yourself. That should stand you in good stead. It has done so for me, says Sir Mark Elder

Mumbai: The final concert of the Spring 2025 season of the Symphony Orchestra of India will be conducted by Sir Mark Elder – one of Britain’s most acclaimed conductors and Conductor Emeritus of The Hallé Orchestra on Saturday. Elder spoke to HT about his early days in music, how he chooses operas as a conductor and an evolved Indian audience that knows how to experience an immersive art form.

Mumbai, India. Feb 12, 2025: Mark Elder, the British conductor, conducted rehearsals with the Symphony Orchestra of India for the first time at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai. Mumbai, India. Feb 12, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

This is your first visit to India and Mumbai… any first impressions?

I think it is fabulous – large and chaotic but fascinating nevertheless. My wife has gone to see the Elephanta Caves and I do hope to catch the flamingos, but we don’t know how or when.

What would you say are some of the most defining moments that shaped you as a conductor?

I was barely 24 when asked to conduct at the Sydney Opera House on its second night. Living in Australia at the time, I knew it was a landmark moment.

From the outside, the Opera House was spectacular, but inside, the acoustics were tricky. It was a challenge, especially in 1973–74, but it shaped me as a conductor. Leading Giuseppe Verdi’s operas, ‘War and Peace,’ and ‘Meistersinger’ at that age taught me not just how to conduct, but how to navigate difficult circumstances. Later, I sailed from Sydney to Naples on an Italian ship via the Panama Canal, which offered me another lesson in patience and perspective.

Back in London, I was handed one of the toughest assignments for a young conductor: Strauss’s ‘Ein Heldenleben’. A massive, intricate work, it pushes the entire orchestra to its limits, especially the solo violin, which plays like a full concerto. It was a daunting challenge, but one that cemented my confidence on the podium.

Despite your extensive travels, you clearly cherish the enduring bond you have built with the Hallé.

I took over as music director of the Hallé Orchestra nearly a quarter-century ago—back when the Twin Towers still stood and ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’ topped the UK charts. I think both Halle and me did each other a world of good.

Though your repertory is broad in both the operatic and orchestral realms, which do you prefer personally?

I like to strike a balance and do both as far as possible.

Do you follow a ritual before going on stage?

I want to sleep a bit in the afternoon of the evening I am conducting. It calms me down and makes me perform better. Also, I have to wash my hands in the intermission before I go back on stage.

Is there really something like a piece being over-rehearsed?

Indeed there is. You must rehearse only to a point that the final performance still has a feel of the improvised to it.

Have you planned any thematic/ musical elements that could resonate with the Indian audience for the final concert?

Indian audiences are well attuned to know how to experience an immersive art form because of their exposure to their classical forms and other genres. So I know they will find a connect… .

Has Indian classical music influenced your conducting? How do you see its fusion with Western classical music?

I haven’t worked with Indian classical music and don’t see the need to blend genres for the sake of it. They’re best appreciated separately. That said, mutual understanding is key—the West, in particular, should listen, learn, and respect Indian traditions.

With India’s rich musical heritage and deep-rooted traditions, do you believe Western classical music has a growing audience here?

You have such an incredible musical tradition and I feel very lucky to get this peek through the door as it were. It’d be great to see a bigger Western classical music scene for a country with such diverse traditions.

What can orchestras do to attract a more diverse and global listener base?

Indian orchestras can grow by blending cultures, engaging communities, and making Western classical music more accessible. Fusion concerts, education programmes, themed performances and digital outreach can help attract diverse audiences while honouring India’s musical heritage.

As a conductor how do you decide which operas you will do and which you won’t at all?

Some pieces excite me; others don’t. I’d never push music I don’t believe in. Many brilliant but overlooked composers deserve more recognition—like Mieczysław Weinberg’s haunting ‘Symphony No. 21’ (Kaddish), Nikolai Myaskovsky’s brooding ‘Symphony No. 27’, Louise Farrenc’s Beethoven-esque ‘Symphony No. 3’, or Havergal Brian’s monumental symphonies. Their music is rich with depth, emotion and innovation.

When revisiting a piece after some time away, do you prefer to start afresh with a clean score?

Not at all! I treasure my scores—they’re like old friends. I live with them, collect as many as I can (though they’ve become quite expensive, especially for works that require extensive preparation, like Verdi, early Italian repertoire, and Mozart). Parting with a score is almost unbearable for me. You have to have a deep, personal connection with it—like a love affair.

Do some operas get over-done?

Of course they do! Because people have to be able to earn to keep their art going. Whether one likes it or not, it is at the end of the day a business. If you feel putting up something popular like Carmen is going to give you a bigger response then you do it. The problem arises when the directors begin to desperately search and push for a piece to get the crowds in. Over intellectualisation is not the way to go. That just ruins it for everyone.

Who is your most favourite composer - someone you unfailingly revisit to listen by yourself?

Wagner and Beethoven.

But they are such a study in contrast…

True... Though both are revolutionary, they had such contrasting visions. Beethoven championed absolute music, using form and contrast to convey deep emotion, as in his ‘Ninth Symphony’. Wagner, in contrast, revolutionised opera with Gesamtkunstwerk, weaving endless melodies and grand myths in works like ‘Tristan and Isolde’. While Beethoven’s music reflects struggle and triumph, Wagner’s dissolves boundaries, creating immersive, continuous sound worlds.

Finally, India has a growing pool of talented young classical musicians. What would be your advice for aspiring Indian conductors and orchestral musicians?

Be hardworking. Be committed. Be driven. Be absolutely clear that this is what you want to do because it can be very demanding. Also be patient and believe in yourself. That should stand you in good stead. It has done so for me.