Italian musicians Tommaso Benciolini and Lorenzo Bernardi brought Pandit Ravi Shankar’s iconic 1976 composition L’Aube Enchantee to life in Kochi with a soul-stirring flute-and-guitar performance. Hosted by the Kochi Biennale Foundation and Italian Cultural Institute, the concert previewed the upcoming Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025-26.
In a heartwarming tribute to India’s legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, two young Italian musicians breathed new life into one of his most evocative compositions—L’Aube Enchantée (The Enchanted Dawn)—at a special concert in Kochi. Held on Saturday at the Indian Chamber of Commerce building in Mattancherry, the 75-minute performance marked a unique cultural moment in the run-up to the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
Tommaso Benciolini, a flautist, and Lorenzo Bernardi, a guitarist, performed the 11-minute piece, originally written as a duet for flute and guitar in Raaga Todi. The composition was born out of Pandit Ravi Shankar’s collaboration with renowned French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal and guitarist Alexandre Lagoya in the mid-1970s. Since then, L’Aube Enchantée has remained a cross-cultural emblem of Indo-Western classical fusion.
Benciolini opened the performance with gentle, meditative flute strains, capturing the essence of dawn as conceptualised in Indian classical music. Bernardi complemented this with delicate yet expressive guitar work, echoing the emotive depth of Shankar’s original notes. The duo set the stage by tuning an electronic tanpura, recreating the Indian classical atmosphere before beginning their rendition.
“This composition is special for us. About nine months ago, when we learned we’d be performing in India, Lorenzo and I decided to dive into Ravi Shankar’s music. Since then, we’ve performed L’Aube Enchantée at several venues, but presenting it here in India feels truly special,” said 34-year-old Benciolini after the concert.
The audience listened in rapt silence as the musicians unfolded the delicate alaap—an improvised melodic introduction—highlighting the poignant beauty of Raaga Todi, which traces its roots to 16th-century maestro Mian Tansen of Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. As the final note faded into silence, the room erupted in applause, a standing ovation reflecting the depth of the performance’s emotional impact.
The concert was jointly organized by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) and the Italian Cultural Institute, giving audiences a taste of what to expect at the forthcoming Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025–26, which opens on December 12 under the theme “For the Time Being.” The 110-day international art exhibition will run until March 31, 2026, and is being curated by artist Nikhil Chopra in collaboration with HH Art Spaces, an artist-led group based in Goa.
Beyond the Ravi Shankar piece, the duo performed a variety of works spanning different genres and eras. They followed L’Aube Enchantée with Nightfall, a contemporary piece composed by Italian composer Roberto Di Marino. Tuned in a minor scale corresponding with the Indian raga Keeravani, Nightfall contrasted dawn with dusk, showcasing the power of minimalist musical expression.
Before this, the musicians performed a three-movement sonatina by Marco Beltrami, the New York-based Italian-American composer known for his work in Hollywood film and TV scores. “The sonatina reflects internal dialogue, tension, and release. It’s cinematic and emotional,” explained Bernardi.
Opening the evening was an Italian overture—a nod to the Baroque era—when such pieces traditionally set the stage for operas. The grand finale was a 22-minute centrepiece by Astor Piazzolla, the celebrated Argentine tango composer of Italian descent. The piece was vibrant and emotionally complex, encapsulating both the duo’s technical prowess and interpretive sensitivity.
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The concert proved to be more than just a performance—it was a transcultural dialogue, a confluence of traditions, and a powerful reminder of music’s universal language. It highlighted how Ravi Shankar’s influence continues to echo across continents and generations.
As anticipation builds for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, this performance stood out as a symbolic gesture of East meeting West—a fitting overture for what promises to be one of the most significant art events in Asia.
