
About the Foundation


Our
Story
The aim of the South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF) is to promote greater cultural integration for the cause of peace in our region of South Asia, through the medium of music and the creation of a South Asian Symphony Orchestra. The inspiration has come from Ambassador Nirupama Menon Rao’s years in diplomacy and what she saw as a felt need for providing a platform to promote more dialogue, cultural synergy, and friendly understanding among the youth of the eight countries in South Asia, including India.
​
The Foundation will hold music workshops, master classes, lectures, and training in orchestral music for young musicians by internationally renowned master teachers of orchestral music. The aim is to foster artistic talent and creativity among these young musicians of promise. We will organize performances of the South Asian Symphony Orchestra in various cities of India and South Asia, as also the rest of the world. In due course, we will enable the development of orchestral repertoire, including classical and indigenous music from South Asia.
​
Orchestras are beautiful creations, they transcend race, religion, language, and borders. They are microcosms of the world –where different musicians and instruments join in harmony together, where walls begin to crumble, and differences recede. In an orchestra, all musicians are equal – music cannot be made without everyone doing their job. Habits of cooperation are inculcated and coordination and self-discipline are hallmarks. Friendships are formed and these friendships are taken home. Over time, the orchestra can be an avenue to greater cooperation and be a peace-builder. As its members play, they have to listen to each other to balance their sound within the larger sound and make a performance happen. The players develop empathy for those around them in the orchestra.
Why South Asia, you may ask. South Asia has often been defined as just India and Pakistan, but the history of the region is much more nuanced and incredibly vibrant. South Asia extends from Afghanistan, through Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, through India, Sri Lanka, and to the Maldives. Nationalism has trumped regionalism in this space. We would like our Orchestra to point the way to recognition of the fact that South Asia is in many ways an integer, bound more together by our commonalities than our differences. To quote the famous words of Ambassador Vijayalakshmi Pandit, before the United Nations, “Let us sweat in peace, not bleed in war”.
Note from the Founder
Dear all, I’m often asked why I created an Orchestra and what the underlying purpose of it all. Here’s my two cents!
​
Here it is:
​
The Orchestra as a Model for Society
​
There is something profoundly symbolic about an orchestra. It is more than a group of musicians gathered to perform a piece of music; it is a living metaphor for what society could be — and perhaps what it must be, if we are to thrive together.
​
In an orchestra, every individual has a role, but no role exists in isolation. The violinist does not dominate the flutist; the percussionist does not drown the clarinet. Each part matters, whether it plays the melody or the harmony, whether it is heard boldly or barely at all. Some instruments sound only once in a piece — a triangle chime, a soft oboe line — yet their absence would leave the whole work feeling incomplete.
​
This is a powerful image for how we might view our places in society. In the orchestra, difference is not just tolerated — it is essential. The rich resonance of a cello would lose its magic without the brightness of the trumpet, the elegance of the harp, or the grounding heartbeat of the bass drum. Harmony does not mean sameness; it means finding the beauty in difference and placing it in a structure where it can contribute fully.
​
And yet, despite this dazzling complexity, there is no chaos. Why? Because there is a score — a shared vision, a direction that all agree to follow. And there is a conductor, a unifier: someone whose job is to listen, interpret, and guide. Not to silence, but to shape. The conductor does not make a sound themselves, yet their presence brings cohesion and energy to the group.
​
In a healthy society, our laws, values, and collective goals act as the score. Our leaders are conductors — not soloists but stewards of balance. And we, the people, are the musicians: unique, essential, interdependent.
​
The orchestra also teaches us about humility. A soloist may shine for a moment, but even they are wrapped in the support of others. No one plays all the notes. No one can. The music only exists when all contribute — in tune, in time, and in relationship.
This metaphor becomes even more powerful in today’s world, where individualism often overshadows community, and noise threatens to replace music. The orchestra reminds us that true greatness lies not in volume, but in harmony — in listening, adapting, and playing our part with care and respect.
​
Let us aspire to live as an orchestra lives: honoring our differences, tuning to one another, and creating something together that none of us could ever create alone.

Nirupama Rao, July 8, 2025
“We are inspired by the dream that South Asia must overcome the hesitations of history and build an architecture of dialogue and cooperation that can nurture and sustain our common humanity and recognize our shared destiny”

Nirupama Rao
Founder-Trustee

Sudhakar Rao
Founder-Trustee

Meenakshi Gopinath
Trustee

A P Parigi
Trustee
