Neil Nongkynrih | |
|---|---|
 Nongkynrih in 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1970-07-09)9 July 1970 Jaiaw Langsning,Shillong, Meghalaya, India |
| Died | 5 January 2022(2022-01-05) (aged 51) Mumbai,Maharashtra, India |
| Genres | Classical,pop,jazz,Hindustani,folk,opera |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist,songwriter,keyboardist,music teacher,conductor,Central Board of Film Certification |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, keyboard |
| Years active | 1987–2022 |
| Website | www |
Neil Nongkynrih (9 July 1970 – 5 January 2022) was an Indianconcert pianist andconductor. He founded theShillong Chamber Choir (SCC), which won the reality showIndia's Got Talent in 2010.[1] He was awardedPadma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India in 2015.[2]
Nongkynrih was born in Jaiaw Langsning, Khasi Hills district, in the then state ofAssam (nowEast Khasi Hills district,Meghalaya state) to A. H. Scott Lyngdoh, a former state minister of Meghalaya, and Elvirial Nongkynrih.[1] His grand- aunt introduced him to works byMozart andBeethoven at an early age. Most of his initial lessons in music were from his sister, Pauline Warjri, a jazz musician. In 1988, against his father's wishes, he moved to the United Kingdom to study music.[3]
Nongkynrih studied music atTrinity College andGuildhall School of Music inLondon. He performed in numerous shows as a concert pianist in United Kingdom.[4] Nongkynrih was also teaching music inOxfordshire in addition to the concerts. One of his students wasPhilip Selway, a member of theBritish bandRadiohead.[5] He returned to India in 2001 and started teachingpiano in Shillong. In the same year, he founded theShillong Chamber Choir (SCC).[6]
Nongkynrih worked on a wide variety of musical genres ranging from Western and Indian classical music to Bollywood and pop medleys. He wrote an opera inKhasi, the native language of Meghalaya, with the intention to revive the dialect. The opera, titledSohlyngngem, is based on a tragic Khasi folktale which was woven into musical lingo by Nongkynrih and his team.[7]
Nongkynrih came back home toShillong in India in 2001 after fourteen years in Europe leaving behind a potential career as a classical pianist there. In a later interview he referred to the violence in the region and said he had heard the sounds of the guns early in 2001 and decided that he wanted to replace it with the sound of music.[8] From a small beginning he attracted a group of ordinary young people who made their debut as the Shillong Chamber Choir. The group covered music from folk to opera, from rock to jazz, and even included Hindustani classical and reinterpreted versions of Indian cinematic music.[9]
The choir shot to national fame after it won the reality talent show,India's Got Talent (Season 2) in October 2010, onColors TV, part of theGot Talent franchise, where it performed western chorals, as well as choral-style revamps ofHindi film (Bollywood) classics.[10][11] Under Nongkynrih's direction, the choir participated in the 6thWorld Choir Games held atShaoxingChina (Shanghai) in July 2010 and was awarded Gold in all three categories viz. Musica Sacra, Gospel and Popular.[12] The choir also performed forBarack Obama andMichelle Obama, theUS President andfirst lady at the time, during their visit to India in 2010.[13] The choir also worked on several projects, albums and collaborations. Nongkynrih's version of "Vande Mataram" was sung by the SCC onNational Geographic during a live telecast covering the launch ofChandrayaan-2.[14]
The SCC has performed extensively in India and has toured parts of the world. Over the years, Nongkynrih worked on revamping the Choir's repertoire with many new compositions and out of the box medleys apart from the operaSohlyngngem that he was working on.[15]
Nongkynrih collaborated with various artists. Some of his collaborations with international orchestras included the London Concertante, theVienna Chamber Orchestra[16][17] and theFitzwilliam Quartet in Switzerland.[18] His choir also performed with other artists, such asBoman Irani andHariharan.[19][20] A collaboration withZakir Hussain,Usha Uthup andShankar–Ehsaan–Loy led to a best-selling Christmas music album in 2011.[18]
Under the SCC banner, Nongkynrih worked on projects which have contributed to notable social causes. These include:
Nongkynrih was made a member of the board of India'sCentral Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2017.[26]
Earlier, in 2012, Nongkynrih was appointed by theWorld Choir Council for a four-year term on the council.[27]
One of Nongkynrih's major projects included an opera titledSohlyngngem which was based on a tragicKhasi folktale. Even though excerpts from the opera have been performed earlier, three pieces from the opera were performed by the SCC at theMTV India Music Summit in 2019, held inJaipur which was a highlight of the three-day musical event. At the time, he was still working on the opera, which was expected to be performed by the SCC in its entirety upon completion.[28]
Nongkynrih also started a home school at his residence in Shillong for children from the region. DirectorUrmi Juvekar made a documentary on Nongkynrih's life, titledThe Shillong Chamber Choir and the Little Home School.[29] The documentary was exhibited at a few international movie festivals.[30] The school was later named the Shillong Chamber School and had about 20 students in attendance as of 2016. The school's curriculum various arts like music and drama, in addition to the traditional school curriculum. The students of the school have performed with the SCC and the European Concert Orchestra in Mumbai for a Christmas Concert and also beforeRajiv Bajaj and cricketerMS Dhoni at a private event in Pune.[31]
Nongkynrih was awarded thePadma Shri (the fourth highest civilian award of India) in 2015 for his contribution in the field of arts through his music.[32] Some of his other awards included:
Nongkynrih died at a hospital in Mumbai on 5 January 2022, at the age of 51.[40][18]
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