Malayalam musician, violin maestro Francis Xavier serenades with iconic melodies

Prominent session violinist Francis Xavier brought music to the India Today South Conclave in Kochi on Tuesday with a soulful performance. Xavier is a Kerala-based violinist, session musician, composer and live performer and performed at the Conclave’s Music to the Ears session in Kochi. Accompanied by his keyboard player Kamal, Xavier performed a selection of popular songs and timeless melodies. His set included Maa from Taare Zameen Par, one of his favourite compositions, followed by Kesariya from Brahmastra. He also performed Premika Ne Pyar Se by SP Balasubrahmanyam, Dil Hai Chota Sa by AR Rahman and the evergreen Lag Ja Gale Se Phir, made iconic by Lata Mangeshkar. Francis Xavier has worked extensively as a session violinist and soloist, including with music composers such as AR Rahman, and has performed with live orchestras and several prominent Indian musicians. A 2016 profile described him as an established violinist who had worked with Indian composers and conductors for nearly two decades.