A.R. Rahman launches first Indian orchestra

By Chitra Prakash

Chennai, March 12 (IANS) After waiting for seven years, India's most famous contemporary music composer A.R. Rahman Wednesday launched his first full-fledged orchestra. It has been named "Global Music" and is the first homegrown orchestra.

"I kept hearing someone is setting up an orchestra and waited for seven long years for someone else to set up an orchestra like the New York, London or Budapest Philharmonic in India. But it did not happen", Rahman, whose recent works include music for "Guru" and "Jodhaa Akbar", told the media here.

"Whenever I want to compose for an orchestra, I have to go to London or Budapest," he complained.

The music maestro announced setting up of the orchestra along with the launch of his KM Conservatory, a music school for professional musicians in the outskirts of the city.

The orchestra, to be fully operational in the next two years, will have both Indian as well as Western musicians. "It will play combinations of two kinds of instruments. There is so much talent in India, but we have no symphony orchestra," Rahman told the media.

He also said the orchestra was expected to bring more professionalism even in film music and introduce millions of Indian music-lovers to "opera and concert as entertainment".

The symphony orchestra will be in the western mode, both as a resident studio orchestra to perform his own composition for the music industry and for the people in Chennai and elsewhere in India.

This orchestra will be populated by professional musicians of international standard, both from India and abroad.

The KM Conservatory of Music, in collaboration with Audio Media Education, an Apple-authorized training centre, which opens in June this year, will concentrate on instrumental and vocal music, both Indian and Western, and music technology.

"In order to bring the music culture to India, where music can be taken as a serious professional option and flourish in the coming generations, training young professionals is essential," Rahman said.

The accomplished composer, who is trying to create opportunities for Indian wannabes, has carved a niche for himself outside the Indian film industry.

He collaborated with international composer Andrew Lloyd Webber for "Bombay Dreams". Then he teamed up with the Finnish folk music band Varttina and composed for "The Lord of the Rings" theatre production and also did a piece, "Raga's Dance" for Vanessa Mae's album "Choreography".

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