Amidst the scorching heatwave in the United Kingdom last month, the evening of 2nd July brought some respite to the Inlaks alumni and friends at the annual Summer Reception and Concert in London, featuring Soprano Kristina Ammattil and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

The Foundation's Chairperson, Mr Azad Shivdasani, took a moment to welcome everyone and share the raison d'être of the Foundation - to identify gifted young Indians and give them the best educational opportunity and experience possible, so that their talents can come to fruition.

While speaking about the initial impulse behind establishing the Foundation, he shared a snippet from the past about his Father, Indoo Shivdasani, who, when asked the secret of his success, simply replied 'Cambridge'.

He further shared his thoughts on the rewards of an overseas education - the exposure to a different culture, the joy of making friends from all over the world, the access to great faculty - all of which immensely broaden one's horizons. And added that now, more than ever, in this divided world, the value of a world-class education cannot be understated. The responsibility of universities, he highlighted, is to teach students to think independently and critically, to challenge, question and doubt, and through this process, to learn to grapple with complexity and withstand pressure from both sides of the spectrum in an increasingly polarized world.

The evening was filled with buzzing conversations between alumni right from 1979 to 2024 , with some meeting each other after decades, and others striking new friendships.

While the reception, attended by over 100 alumni, collaborators and friends of the Foundation, was held at at the John Madejski Garden, the concert 'A Spread of Dreams' performed by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group was held at in the beautiful Raphael Court in V&A South Kensington.

The four works chosen were specially curated for the annual musical event for our scholars, trustees and alumni, to display a representative cross-section of contemporary music, with two classics from the twentieth century by the renowned modernists Pierre Boulez and Elliott Carter. These were followed by twenty-first century works by composers Julian Anderson and Param Vir, a 1984 Inlaks Scholar.

Kristina Ammattil, a 2023 Inlaks Take off Grantee, is currently pursuing her Master's programme in Vocal Performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) is an internationally renowned ensemble that specialises in commissioning and performing a wide range of contemporary music in the UK by leading composers.