New York pianist Utsav Lal is heading to the UK to participate in Yorkshire Silent Film Festival’s spring season in York, Manchester and Sheffield.

A trailblazer in the worlds of jazz and raga, Lal will improvise unique live scores for three different silent films across three dates in May.  These one-off events will be the only opportunity for UK audiences to hear this acclaimed pianist perform live this year. 

Lal has established an international reputation for his performance of Indian ragas on the piano.

Choosing to perform on an instrument that has traditionally been considered unsuitable for Hindustani classical music, Lal’s innovative handling of raga blends his diverse musical influences and has left listeners spellbound.

A Young Steinway Artist, Lal has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages including Washington DC’s Kennedy Centre, New York’s Carnegie Hall, and London’s Southbank Centre.  

Having made his silent film improvisation debut with Yorkshire Silent Film Festival in 2018, Lal now returns for three special performances this May.

The mini tour opens at National Centre for Early Music on 10th May when Lal will perform a live score for the spectacular silent film A Throw of Dice. He then heads to Manchester’s Stoller Hall on 14th May to improvise a unique score for the epic film Shiraz: A Romance of India. For the final show on 15th May, Lal will accompany Carl Dreyer’s emotional masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc at the atmospheric Abbeydale Picture House in Sheffield. 

These events are part of a year-round programme of live-scored silent film presented by Yorkshire Silent Film Festival across the North as well as an annual festival which returns in autumn 2022.   

Jonny Best, artistic director, Yorkshire Silent Film Festival, said:  “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Utsav Lal back to the UK. His performances are truly mesmerising, blending ancient tradition with innovation. Audiences in York, Manchester and Sheffield will be astounded by his improvisations which will bring these stunning silent films to vivid life.”  

Tickets are on sale now at www.ysff.co.uk. 

Yorkshire Silent Film Festival is supported with National Lottery funding from Arts Council England and Film Hub North. 

The Utsav Lal 2022 UK mini tour 

10 May 7.30pm – York, National Centre for Early Music 

A Throw of Dice with live score by Utsav Lal  

A box office smash in 1929, this lavishly romantic silent film tells the story of rival Indian kings – one good, one bad, who fall in love with the same woman. Based on an episode from The Mahabarata, and filmed in India with ten thousand extras, one thousand horses, fifty elephants and an all-Indian cast, A Throw of Dice is a screen spectacle.  

Tickets: £15 (standard), £13 (over 65), £6 (under 35) 

14 May 7.30pm – Manchester, Stoller Hall 

Shiraz: A Romance of India with live score by Utsav Lal  

Based on the romance between 17th century Mughal ruler Shah Jahan and his queen, this epic silent film is the ravishing, romantic tale behind the creation of the Taj Mahal. Shot entirely on location in India, with an all-Indian cast, it features lavish costumes and gorgeous settings.  

Tickets: £13.50 (standard), £11 (over 60), £8.50 (student), £5.50 (claimant), free for under 18 

15 May 8.30pm – Sheffield, Abbeydale Picture House 

The Passion of Joan of Arc with live score by Utsav Lal  

The Passion of Joan of Arc is one of the most emotional films in all of cinema, dramatising Joan’s final days as she is tried for heresy and executed by fire. The portrayal of Joan by Renée Maria Falconetti is frequently held up as the all-time finest performance in cinema. Falconetti had never performed in film before, and she never did so again.  

Tickets: £12 (plus booking fee)