Orchestras long to play in the finest concert halls, and vigorously petition, usually without success, for new homes that have state-of-the-art acoustics. In the case of the Symphony Orchestra of India, though, the hall came first. When the National Centre for the Performing Arts opened its Jamshed Bhabha theatre in Mumbai in 1999, the excellence of its auditorium was indisputable – all that was lacking was a resident ensemble to make use of it. In 2006, however, the SOI was finally established. It is a genuinely multinational band, with 26 nationalities among its ranks. At present, a high proportion of players are from Kazakhstan – its music director, Marat Bisengaliev, is a Kazakh – and about one-sixth of the members are Indian, with more, hopefully, to come, as the SOI’s own training programme bears fruit.

On the evidence of the opening concert of its first UK tour, though, the orchestra is already hugely competent. Conducting duties for the six dates here are shared between Martyn Brabbins and SOI’s associate music director Zane Dalal, and the repertoire is, for the most part, solidly mainstream. But for the opening night, conducted by Dalal, there was Peshkar, a concerto for tabla and orchestra by the tabla player Zakir Hussain, which was commissioned by the SOI. It is very much a showcase for Hussain’s startling virtuosity and skills as an improviser – how much of his part was fixed in advance, and how much invented on the spot was hard to say. The orchestra is junior partner in the work, unfolding Copland-like melodic lines to begin with before gradually picking up speed using the rhythmic patterns Hussain presents.

Dalal had opened with a fizzing performance of Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, which provided an opportunity to appreciate the quality of the orchestra’s woodwind playing – especially a luscious cor anglais – and the fierce solidity of its brass. And every section of the SOI received an even more searching examination in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. There was no doubting the character of the principal clarinet and bassoon, or the rich depth of the string tone, the latter led by the solo violin of Adelina Hasani. Nor was there doubting Dalal’s ability to use it all to maximum effect.

• At Cadogan Hall, London, on 20 February. At St David’s Hall, Cardiff, on 21 February. Then touring until 25 February.