The Hindu : Front Page : Book on Music Academy launched

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Saturday, Dec 12, 2009
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Book on Music Academy launched

Special Correspondent

— Photo: V. Ganesan

C. Rangarajan (third from left), Chairman, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, launches the book on Music Academy in Chennai on Friday. (From left) Co-author of the book V. Sriram, President of The Music Academy N. Murali, R. K. Srikantan and R. Vedavalli, vocalists, and co-author Malathi Rangaswami are in the picture.

CHENNAI: A book reliving the eighty-year history of The Music Academy Madras was launched here on Friday.

“Four Score & More-The History of the Music Academy Madras”, co-authored by V. Sriram and Malathi Rangaswami, retraces the evolution of an institution globally renowned for setting benchmarks in classical fine arts, fostering artists and pioneering the December music festival.

C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, who launched the book by handing over the first copy to Sangita Kalanidhi R. K. Srikantan, urged the Music Academy to introduce a music appreciation course.

In his felicitation, Mr. Srikantan said the Music academy was much more than a regular music sabha and aspired for the advancement of higher learning and practice of the classical art. In a nostalgic account of her over 60-year-long association with the Music Academy, Sangita Kalanidhi R. Vedavalli said the institution was much like a foster mother for her.

N. Murali, Academy president, called for a rededication to the core values of classicism and standards of excellence that had come to define and shape the reputation of an institution that was created by a collective of artists, patrons, cultural enthusiasts and scholars.

Mr. Murali said the authors had brought out a kaleidoscopic account of the Music Academy by putting together the stories and anecdotes that make an institution come alive. Mr. Sriram said the story of the institution was a story of great sacrifice by several groups of people who invested time, effort and sometimes money.

The Music Academy had set the pattern for the December music festival with its structured schedule of “scholarly mornings”, “afternoons of competitive concerts” and “musical evenings”. Pappu Venugopala Rao, Music Academy secretary also spoke. The book launch function was followed by a “GNB” centenary concert by one of his illustrious disciples Trichur V. Ramachandran.

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