Luxembourg’s Philharmonie is dedicating a concert cycle to music from India this season, with Gopi Radhakrishnan – a Luxembourg-based Indian musician – discussing the artists on the agenda and what to expect from the performances.
Radhakrishnan is trained in classical South Indian music and never would have expected for the music of his homeland to be in the spotlight at a venue such as the Philharmonie, known for its renditions of Beethoven and Mozart.
As he speaks, his enthusiasm for Indian music becomes more palpable. And he is impressed with the Philharmonie’s picks. “I was thrilled,” he said. “With artists like this, only musicians know them,” he added, hinting that many members of Luxembourg’s thriving Indian community will not be familiar with their sounds.
This is not about Bollywood clichés but the stage in Kirchberg is hosting recognised experts. “It’s a place for real music lovers,” he said about the Philharmonie, “people who seek music, not just dance and performance and entertainment.”
The “Echoes of India” cycle started this week with the screening of 1929 silent film A Throw of Dice and continues with another six concerts between November and May next year. It is an introduction to a musical universe that will be unfamiliar to many Europeans but also a space that aims to build bridges between South Asian and Western influences.
The concert house is calling this cycle of seven concert evenings “Echoes of India”, which are intended to open a door into the country’s musical cosmos, which is confusing and unfamiliar to Europeans. It was once the Beatles who introduced Indian music to Europe. The Philharmonie series also builds bridges where Indian music meets Western influences and intercultural encounters become possible.
Musical worlds meet
This mix is an important signal for Radhakrishnan, who came to Luxembourg three years ago after his wife landed a job in the financial sector. He moved with her to Europe, but supporting his family as a trained musician in the Grand Duchy was impossible and he now also works in finance.
But Radhakrishnan never gave up on his music completely, and has since founded a band together with some accomplished musicians who, like him, came to Europe for other opportunities.
Although the band is still in the early stages, they perform with the awareness that they can inspire others through the combination of rock and classical sounds and not just provide native sounds for the community. “Luxembourg welcomes new kinds of music,” he said. “I see Luxembourg as a place to explore.”
Over the course of twelve years, he was moulded into a singer by masters of Carnatic music – one of two main strands of the Indian music world – alongside his normal school education. Traditionally, said Radhakrishnan, students learn this classical South Indian music through practice alone. There are no scores or similar notation systems in the sense that Europeans are familiar with.
Instead, teachers (or gurus) pass on melodies and compositions. And while we barely know what ancient European music sounded like, Indian tunes have survived thousands of years, transmitted to the students orally from generation to generation.
For Radhakrishnan, the ancient foundations are the basis on which he works. And where he can, he tries to pass them on.
Simply entertaining in Bollywood style is not his thing. Instead, he is part of a far more complex tradition. There are the so-called ragas, the tone scales, the musical ABC so to speak – but even that is only one part of the incredibly wide and different musical universe. Improvisation is built on top of the recognisable base.
There is also the live expression that he puts into his voice. It is not so much the harmony that is decisive, but the tone sequence and its emotion. And then there are the lyrics and their background; ancient myths about the gods and the many other characters from the narrative tradition flow into them.
Bubbling ideas
Will Western audiences understand the subtle nuances? The challenge for the Philharmonie will be to make this depth comprehensible as part of the bridge-building and show that this tradition has its place in the Luxembourg music world.
Like a true networker, Radhakrishnan throws ideas into the room: perhaps a co-operation with the Indian Association Luxembourg, which he is also involved in, would be a possibility? Especially to make the Indian diaspora in Luxembourg more aware of the Philharmonie and what the concert hall has to offer for a community of thousands of people in the country.
Or how about a stronger social media campaign to prepare people for the concerts – because a lot of it can’t be explained simply by listening, he says. Radhakrishnan is more than happy to tell people more about the music of his homeland. After all, now a sign has been set and perhaps there is a genuine interest.
Beyond Bollywood
“Discover the beauty of Indian culture through this multifaceted musical journey,” says the Philharmonie’s website about the line-up that will unfold over the next few months. Here is an overview of the concerts still to come:
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13 November : Raga Night – an homage to Zakir Hussain by Triveni and Kaushiki Chakraborty
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15 January 2026: Rites of Spring – Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps meets Vijay Iyer performing Radhe Radhe Rites of Holi.
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5 March: Varijashree Venugopal – Vari, an immersion in the South Indian musical tradition
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26 March: Naïssam Jalal – Landscapes of Eternity, an Indian musician’s search for her roots
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23 April: Araj – The Sound of Modern India, five singers juxtapose tradition with new influences
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17 May: Anoushka Shankar – Chapters, together with the London Contemporary Orchestra
(This story was first published in the Luxemburger Wort. Translated using AI, edited by Cordula Schnuer.)
