On the night of March 9, Sunday, Ilaiyaraaja made history by presenting his “first ever western classical symphony,” titled Valiant, at London’s Eventim Apollo Theatre. The performance featured the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, one of London’s most renowned ensembles, in what Ilaiyaraaja called a “special surprise performance.”
This event marked a significant milestone in Ilaiyaraaja’s illustrious career. With this achievement, he became the first musician from India’s cinema industry to perform such a symphony in London. Ilaiyaraaja is also one of the pioneers in using Western classical music elements in film scores and is the first Indian composer to write a full-length symphony. The London event served as the world premiere of Valiant.
Ilaiyaraaja recorded Valiant with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He recently shared a behind-the-scenes video showing the making of the symphony. During the recording, Ilaiyaraaja introduced himself to the orchestra, recalling how he had previously recorded songs and film scores every day. He mentioned that writing a symphony was a sudden decision, and he never expected to collaborate with the Scottish orchestra. “When I started writing, I never thought I would record with you all,” he said.
Since the announcement of the event, Ilaiyaraaja has received widespread praise. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called the performance the “crown jewel among the countless achievements of Ilaiyaraaja, a musical soul deeply intertwined with the lives of Tamils around the world.”
In addition to Valiant, Ilaiyaraaja also presented an orchestra version of some of his most popular compositions at the London theatre. This Western classical symphony adds to his expanding body of work, which includes albums like How To Name It and Nothing But Wind.
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