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A pianist and music educator from Nagaland, Khyochano, started the Brillante Piano Festival in Kohima in 2017 with a simple aim: to build a strong community around music. Seven years on, that idea has grown considerably, with Brillante now travelling to cities across India.
Delhi is next. The capital will host its inaugural Brillante piano contest from September 18 to 20, as part of a three-day line-up bringing together musicians, educators and audiences, with participants from more than 18 states and overseas. But Brillante isn't just about the piano. The multi-genre festival also puts music pedagogy and conversations around music centre stage.
What’s the Brillante Festival about?
The three-day festival is not about keeping music humbly confined to the concert hall. Brillante’s programming brings together classical, jazz, contemporary and experimental music, alongside piano competitions, recitals, pedagogy programmes, creative labs and mentorships. There are established musicians, yes, but also young performers looking for their first real stage.
Then there is Street Piano: an invitation to take the instrument out of its usual habitat and put it where people actually are. The point is simply to get participation.
Children are welcomed to encounter music, too, besides the kind of audiences who may never have thought of a piano recital as something meant for them. Students are going to find teachers, and teachers can exchange ideas.
In 2021, Brillante also introduced Specially Abled Musicians (SAM), a dedicated platform for musicians with special needs. The initiative reflects a broader attempt to make performance spaces accessible.
What’s the Nagaland angle?
While India’s cultural conversations have traditionally travelled outward from cities like Delhi, Mumbai and others, Brillante has taken the opposite route. It was born in Nagaland, then travelled across the country and is now arriving in the capital.
Brillante’s first edition was a deeply Naga-centric project. By the second edition, the festival had opened its doors to participants from elsewhere in India, and roughly half the participation came from outside Nagaland. Clearly, the festival’s definition of inclusion extends beyond where musicians come from.
What’s up with the Delhi edition?
Hosted at the British Council and the Sanatan IILM Centre for Arts and Ideas, the Delhi edition will feature piano recitals, Street Piano, programmes for specially abled musicians and children, and spaces for musicians and audiences to meet, listen and participate.
For Khyochano, though, the larger idea remains the same one that began in Kohima in 2017: building a community around music.
More details
When: September 18–20, 2026, multiple slots
Where: British Council India, Delhi
Nearest Metro: Janpath (Violet Line)
Tickets: Registration for various categories in the competition is ₹1,000.