He brought the techno-revolution in film music in this country and now he wants to create our own Indian symphony orchestra. As a first step he is launching the KM Music Conservatory to ‘bridge the gap between music, technology and culture’. It is an institution for the training of musicians for professional careers in the field. The KM Music Conservatory in collaboration with Audio Media Education headed by T. Selva Kumar and the first Apple-authorised training centre in the country, opens this June and will concentrate on instrumental and vocal music both Indian and Western music and technology. Initially divided into Preparatory, Foundation and Diploma courses, there will be place for any student to learn and to perfect their skills. Students who complete the music technology course will be equipped to handle advanced studio equipment, with long-term professional prospects.

The Conservatory’s preparatory programme will be opened to any student with musical interest from the earliest level without any age restriction. At a more advanced level of training the conservatory will be offering a Foundation Course and a Diploma course for those students with sufficient training and ability to perfect their skills. The Diploma course is a two-year programme. The KM Conservatory will function for the present at a place opposite Rahman’s studios in Kodambakkam and later will be shifted to a Greenfield area in the suburbs. Initially the Conservatory expects training for about 150 students. Together with this conservatory, Rahman is founding a symphony orchestra in the Western mode, both to serve as a resident studio orchestra to perform music for his own compositions for the music industry but also to perform for the general public in Chennai and elsewhere in India. Professional musicians of an International standard, both from India and abroad, will teach at the conservatory.

“What we take two months to record orchestral sound for films, in Prague or Birmingham it takes just four days. When even countries like Iraq and Bahrain have symphony orchestras why we do not have even one national symphony orchestra surprises me. Since a long time there is this burning desire in me and that has resulted in the formation of KM Conservatory of Music,” said Rahman, talking to the media to announce the launch of his music institution. He cautioned that Symphony not be confused with Western classical music. “My desire is to create an orchestra that sounds distinctly Indian and blends various aspects of Indian culture and devotion. Bhakthi is the basic element in any music be it Hindustani, Carnatic, Sufi or any music,” he said.

The conservatory has on its panel such greats as classical violinist Dr. L. Subramaniam, Hindustani classical legend Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, the New York-based Srinivas Krishnan of the Global Rhythms ensemble, T. Selvakumar, Managing Director, K M Consevatory and Audio Media Education, besides A. R. Rahman, founder and principal.