‘Incredible Ilaiyaraaja’ set to scale another musical summit

Chennai: In a luminous career spanning 50 years, Ilaiyaraaja aced various genres of music and delighted his fans.

But there was one form missing from his repertoire: the symphony, a long piece of music with multiple sections or movements, each with their own distinct features.

The virtuoso from Tamil Nadu had always dreamt of penning a symphony, recording and premiering it. And that wish will finally be fulfilled on March 8, when he takes the stage in London to unveil his composition, Symphony Number 1 Valiant. 

By doing so, the 81-year-old will become the first Indian artiste to conduct a full Western classical symphony composed in the UK, a remarkable achievement for the composer who was born in an obscure village in Theni district.

The music director seemed fully aware of the significance of the occasion. And he didn’t hold back.

“This is not my pride alone, this is India’s pride. Like we say Incredible India, this (achievement) is Incredible Ilaiyaraaja,” the music composer said on Thursday before taking his flight to London. “I am sure the performance will be a treat to music lovers.”

Composed by Ilaiyaraaja in just 35 days, the full-orchestra performance of the symphony will be conducted by renowned British music conductor Mikel Toms with about 85 musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). The symphony was recorded in London last year and a Behind the Scenes (BTS) video released this January has gone viral. 

“There is nothing (called) good or bad in music. Each and every note is perfect on its own,” said Ilaiyaraaja, who is known as the ‘Maestro’.

Ilaiyaraaja had been wanting to write and record a symphony but his tight schedule never allowed him to do so. In May 2024, there was a breakthrough: Ilaiyaraaja wrote a symphony with four movements in just about a month. 

“There are different kinds of music. Film music and background music…if these are reflected in my symphony, it is not a symphony. What I have written is a pure symphony,” said Ilaiyaraaja. 

Music conductor Toms, who was spellbound by the ‘Maestro’, said Ilaiyaraaja’s symphony was interesting, colourful and a rich piece of music, especially coming from a person who is “very embedded in the world of Indian music”. 

“What he has done is quite remarkable. The symphony has different elements,” Toms said of Ilaiyaraaja.

Ilaiyaraaja achieved unparalleled success in the field of music, though he never had a formal training and this thought has always weighed heavily on his mind.

“I don’t know music,” he exclaimed at an event, despite his prodigious output that includes over 8,500 songs for about 1,500 feature films in nine languages. Actor Kamal Haasan, who was sitting next to him, quipped, “But music knows you well.”

The man who breathes music has already said he would continue to work in the field and wouldn’t retire after the symphony performance. 

"This is not my pride alone this is India’s pride. Like we say Incredible India this (achievement) is Incredible Ilaiyaraaja. I am sure the performance will be a treat to music lovers"-- Ilaiyaraaja music composer