April 20: There is good news for the wannabe artistes of the Northeast.

Students of classical music and dance will come together under one umbrella to learn the nuances of the art forms at the first-of-its-kind classical music conference in the city early next month.

The North East Foundation for Cultural and Socio-economic Development, a city-based voluntary organisation, is organising the conference to encourage the budding talents of the region.

Kanak Sarma, the secretary of the organisation, said the venue of the conference is yet to be finalised.

The USP of the conference will be demonstrations by some of the most celebrated names in the field.

Renowned classical singer Pandit Karuna Shankar Thakuria will demonstrate the nuances of singing and celebrated flautist Deepak Sarma will impart training in instrumental music.

The conference will also hold competitions on classical singing, dancing and instrumental music. Around 150 young classical dancers, singers and musicians are likely to participate in the conference.

“Young learners of classical music are not getting much exposure to hone their skills. So we decided to organise the conference to bring them under one roof and give them the best possible training,” Sarma said.

“The conference will help to bring into focus new talents in classical music. If needed, we will also take care of the expenses for training a few talented artistes,” he added.

The organisation is also planning to conduct a folk music conference on the lines of the classical music conference next year. “We have been trying our best to explore the kind of opportunities music can provide. For this, we are trying to give training to young learners from across the region,” Sarma said.

Aspiring classical singer Meera Deka said the conference would help to encourage new talents.

“Classical music has no takers. It is hard for newcomers to make their mark in the field. Unless we are provided assistance, it would be hard for us to continue practising our art forms,” she added.