_edited.png){kind=logo}
- 15 hours ago
- 5 min read
A Note from Con Brio to Brussels: the story of Antara Bapat
From learning in a circle of kids in Pune to winning second place on the national stage, the 19-year-old violinist shows that real progress is about patience, trust, and showing up every single day.
Months of quiet, consistent practice that started feeling repetitive simmered down to just a handful of minutes as 19-year-old Antara Bapat, a student of Mrs. Rama Chobhe at the Suzuki School of Violin, Pune, took center stage at Con Brio this year. Alongside pianist Sonam Lodhi, she had taken on a set that was complex, starting with the tender, heartfelt warmth of Amy Beach’s Romance in A major, before immediately switching into the playful, fast-paced energy of Fritz Kreisler’s Tambourin Chinois.
The performance, which seemed so complex to execute, earned her second place in the bowed strings category. But for anyone who walks the halls of Studio Meraki, Antara’s story is not just about the trophy or her move to the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Her story should open one’s eyes towards what it actually takes to build a life around an instrument. An instrumentalist’s life is filled with quiet mornings, the frustrating days when notes do not land, and a steady mindset that drives them.
Music as a Friend, not a Competition
Antar’s journey began with Mrs. Rama Chobhe at the Suzuki School of Violin, Pune, which recently celebrated 25 years of teaching. Rather than giving rise to early rivalries or overwhelming pressure, the school focused on learning in group classes, where everyone moved at their own pace. Antara said, “We learned together, but we were never taught to compete, and while some people picked things up faster, some took a little longer, but everyone was encouraged. We treated our classmates like an extended family. That gave me a sense of calmness. It taught me to just give my best and leave the rest.”
This kind of mindset in a 19-year-old was fostered early on, giving priority to patience. Rama teacher, which is how her students address her, shared with us, “She didn’t show any promise at that time; in fact, she was a distracted child. She could not focus. After giving it a try for about eight to nine months, her mother thought it would be good if she could take a break... and she joined back when she was five. There onwards, her journey became smoother," and this is a testament to how Antara’s success was never an overnight gift.
The early environment around her has shaped how she sees her violin today. It stopped being something that she had to complete like a chore and became something far more personal. “Learning with Rama teacher showed me that anything is possible if you just give it enough time,” she reflects. “The violin became my forever companion.”
Taking Big Risks on Stage
Stepping onto a stage like Con Brio is a nerve-wracking for anyone, especially when you have competed before and know the stakes. Instead of playing it safe, with pieces she had performed for years, Antara chose to learn two brand-new, contrasting works specifically for the competition.
The bold decision she took required teamwork and support that she found with Sonam Lodhi. Collaborating with her was not just about simply following along, it was like an open conversation between two musicians. “From our very first rehearsal, Antara had a clear idea of what she wanted,” Sonam explains. “With the Kreisler piece, I initially thought a slightly slower tempo might feel steady. But Antara explained that certain violin bowings actually needed that extra speed to work properly. Once we talked it through, it made complete musical sense. Rapport happens when there is mutual trust and genuine respect for each other’s ideas.”
A glimpse of the rehearsal at the NCPA — Antara and Sonam working on Fritz Kreisler’s Tambourin Chinois, with a little voice in the background making its own musical contribution.
They also had to figure out how to bridge two completely different moods on stage. Moving straight from the quiet emotion of Amy Beach into the fireworks of Kreisler felt too much at first. Their solution was simple: breather. Working together, they built in a deliberate moment of silence, which gave them and their audience a chance to reset before diving into the next world.
Inside the Practice Room: Breaking Down the Hard Days
For students at the studio who want to know how someone can get to this level, Antara’s day-to-day routine can provide a good starting point. She does not just play the same piece over and over again, hoping it will get better; instead, she breaks every single problem into tiny, manageable steps.
Antara said that when she is faced with a passage that seems to have difficult fingerings and strange rhythms, she separates them completely. First, she plays it very slowly, focusing solely on getting the pitch and intonation clean. Once her fingers know where to go, she isolates the rhythm separately, often trying different accent patterns to test her hand. Only when both parts feel natural does she nudge the metronome up. Her biggest advice was that when you start getting frustrated, walk away for a few minutes.”
“Breaks are so important,” Antara says. “When I work through something difficult, I didn’t jump straight into the next hard section. I give my brain time to process what I just did. Once it settles, I go back.”
When mistakes happen on stage under pressure, her rule is just as straightforward as her daily routine, which is to let it go instantly. She says, “If there’s a slip while performing, I immediately tell myself to forget it and play the next phrase with as much focus and expression as I can.”
Antara and Sonam rehearsing Amy Beach’s Romance in A major at the NCPA, Mumbai
The Road to Brussels
Later this year, Antara will begin her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. It’s a huge step, but she is focused on the long game.
Her selection at the conservatory came quickly, but behind that prompt acceptance was more than a decade of steady commitment. As Rama Teacher shared, “It was not a surprise for us at all. It was a result of all these years’ hard work- for about fifteen to sixteen years of rigorous hard work, and doing one single thing with complete dedication and perseverance.”
For Rama teacher, watching Antara prepare for Europe comes down to the same consistency she built in Pune, “There is no standard formula according to me. It just happens over the period, but with very clear understanding that this is what I want to do, and have complete faith in your teacher… more of discipline in your practice, more of faith, and a lot of listening to good musicians.”
Antara in performance, expressing her musicality through the violin.
"You're never truly ready, and you're never truly perfect," she shares while sharing hopes about her future. This article’s perfect ending would be by taking Antara’s advice, "Never get frustrated with yourself. Give things time to unfold. Listen to different styles, explore different interpretations, and really try to understand the piece. Music isn’t just pure technique, it’s an emotion, and it’s a part of who you are."
For everyone practicing at Studio Meraki today, Antara’s story can be a reminder that big milestones are not built just by a quick overnight practice, instead they are built on small, quiet choices made while practicing every single day.
Comments