Ilaiyaraaja Unveils Behind-The-Scenes Video Of His First English Classical Symphony

A new video has been released, offering a glimpse into the making of Ilaiyaraaja‘s first English classical symphony, Valiant, which has excited his fans. The symphony was recorded with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

In the video, Ilaiyaraaja speaks to the musicians, saying, “Every day, I used to record a song or a film score. I am a film composer,” before sharing that he never imagined he would compose a symphony or record with them. He added, “There is no good or bad in music. Every note is perfect on its own”.

Mikel Toms from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra spoke about working with Ilaiyaraaja, calling the music “colorful” and “rich”. He noted how Ilaiyaraaja, an Indian composer known for his work in film music, blended elements of Indian and Western classical music in a remarkable way. Toms said it was a “great discovery” for the orchestra.

Mercuri Group CEO Sriram Bakthisaran also commented on the significance of the symphony, stating, “Today is truly a historic day for Maestro and his millions of fans worldwide. It has taken 49 years and 1500 films to make this dream come true”.

Ilaiyaraaja, who shared the video link on his Twitter timeline, wrote, “Music is an emotion, and Valiant is my tribute to you all. Witness the journey behind Symphony No. 1”.

music is an emotion and Valiant is my tribute to you all. witness the journey behind Symphony No. 1https://t.co/oC8gT8BDZA @OneMercuri @IMMOffl https://t.co/KNJtaZ2jR3

— Ilaiyaraaja (@ilaiyaraaja) January 25, 2025