Symphony, Life and Entrepreneurship
Part 1: An Evening to Remember
On May
30, 2026, Chennai witnessed something truly historic—the first of its kind in
the city’s musical history. The Nehru Outdoor Stadium, usually echoing with
sporting cheers, was instead filled with people of all ages, gathered for one
reason: Maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s debut symphony, Valiant,
conducted by Mikel Toms, leading over 70 musicians.
When the concert was announced
two months earlier, I didn’t think twice. I told my son, Kailash, to book the
tickets—and he did. As the date drew closer, I found myself counting the days,
already lost in the music I hadn’t even heard yet.
On the evening of May 30,
Kailash and I, along with my close friends, made our way to the venue. We
wanted a good spot—somewhere we could see the stage clearly. It was sweltering,
as Chennai Aprils (and Mays) always are. But we had waited two months for this;
what were 90 more minutes? That thought comforted me.
The stadium slowly filled. The
stage was set. And then, the event began. Silence fell—pin-drop silence. When
the first piece ended, applause thundered across the ground.
Listening to a symphony live for
the first time, I felt my thoughts flow like a river. The wind section seemed
to answer the strings. It was as if a long poem was being recited by many
voices, each instrument taking a turn. The music felt revolutionary—a prelude
to battle, a whisper of romance, a breath of relief, a victory march. I
couldn’t help but imagine a story for every piece.
The orchestra also performed
some of Illiyaraja’s own songs in symphonic style. At the end, the Maestro
himself took the stage and said, “Symphony is a different culture. Tamil cine
music is a different culture. But music has no cultural barrier.” Then he
sang Idhayam Poguthe alongside Schubert’s Unfinished
Symphony. Mikel Toms conducted the Western piece seamlessly, while Illiyaraja sang
without losing the song's emotion. The audience joined in, singing along with
Raja, swept up in the grace of Schubert’s notes.
The event came to an end, but
not my desire to truly understand what a symphony is.
M.L. Narendra Kumar
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