An Austrian orchestra performed ‘Vande Mataram’ for Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrived in Vienna on Wednesday. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "Austria is known for its vibrant musical culture. I got a glimpse of it thanks to this amazing rendition of Vande Mataram".
The Austrian musicians who performed ‘Vande Mataram’ said it was a "phenomenal experience" and a "big honour". Ibrahim, who was part of the choir and orchestra, said they had been preparing “quite a lot”, adding that it was a "huge opportunity" for Austria and the orchestra.
Ibrahim said, “I did prepare quite a lot. With the orchestra, we prepared for a few days. But, also at home, I had to really give my best because this is a huge opportunity for Austria, for us, for our orchestra. It was an amazing experience."
PM Modi interacted with the artistes after the performance. Ibrahim said, “You can see he really cares for people." He said he felt “warm next to him”.
The music conductor, Vijay Upadhyay, who is from Lucknow and heads the music department at Vienna University, added that the choir and orchestra had a total of 50 members.
"The first thing I did was to find out what to do two weeks ago. In Western music, the orchestra or the singers have to write everything down. So, first, I had to write it down in two days, then I had to rehearse it. We decided to perform 'Vande Mataram' in Austria-European Symphony style," he said.
PM Modi arrived at the hotel Ritz-Carlton in Vienna on Wednesday, and greeted members of the Indian community. He also met Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.