Panaji, Jan 20 (UNI) It was an evening to remember as Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan performed alongside UK based Orchestra Sinfonia Verdi conducted by the internationally acclaimed David Murphy at Kala Academy. The concert took the audience on a magical journey where the melody of the East merged with the West here last night. The amphitheatre was packed with music enthusiasts and the one and a half-hour long performance kept the audience entertained throughout the evening. The UK based Orchestra conducted by David Murphy performed pieces by Mozart and a Weber composition for Bassoon among others. The concert began with a brief performance by the students of Lourdes Convent, Saligao. The students were part of a two-day masterclass conducted by David Murphy. Held under the aegis of the Deccan Heritage Foundation, the concert celebrated and inspired young, aspiring instrumentalists with a musical dialogue that has existed between the East and the West for over centuries. Recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award of the country, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan began his performance with a composition of Rabindranath Tagore’s Ekla Chalo Re. It is a great honour to be here in Goa and to work with Sinfonia Verdi and David Murphy, said Ustad Amjad Ali Khan before performing the main composition ‘Samaagam’ in collaboration with Sinfonia Verdi conducted by David Murphy. At the core of the Roots of Fire project is the belief that we all share the same fundamental musical DNA, and that the same creative spark is at the roots of all of our music. These creative roots ultimately know no boundaries of culture, nationality or religion. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan along with David Murphy and the Orchestra Sinfonia Verdi saw a collaboration of the East. Under the aegis of the Deccan Heritage Foundation, the concert celebrated and inspired young, aspiring instrumentalists with a musical dialogue that has existed between the East and the West for over centuries. UNI AKM NV AE ADG 1727