Dover Lane Music Conference

Dover Lane Music Conference
Dates	January 22nd to 25th/26th
Location(s)	Nazrul Mancha, Kolkata, India
Years active	1952 - Present
Website	Official Site

The Dover Lane Music Festival or The Dover Lane Music Conference is an annual Indian classical music festival held in the month of January at Nazrul Mancha, an open-air 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.

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 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 and is observed every year. Apart from established musicians, youngsters are also encouraged to participate and display their talent. As a rule, the performances begin late in the evening and go on all night, ending next day in the morning.

The festival draws a very large crowd every year, with tickets sold out within days of them being made available.

Therefore, the Dover Lane Music Festival has become one of the most important cultural events of the year with performances by a number of eminent musicians from all over the country.

External links

• Official Site