Sathya P

If you go on working with the light available, you will meet your Master, as he himself will be seeking you. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

[rkanna @itz_rkannaa]

Master healer Ilayaraja ♥️

[Ilaiyaraaja @ilaiyaraaja]

as promised @OneMercuri

[Mayon 🦜 @mayontweets]

My cousin works as a guitar teacher in a college in US

Before Covid, while he was in India, I asked his view about all musicians, and finally Maestro as he had seen all western musicians from rock, jazz, pop etc.

He said this : Ilaiyaraaja is 100 years ahead in world music :)

[Ilaiyaraaja @ilaiyaraaja]

February 03, 2026 marks completion of 5 years since I moved into this new studio… and the writing of my second Symphony almost completed..

[Suresh Selvarajan @sureshsrajan]

Happy Birthday, Rebel Star @actorprabhas #spirit 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Suresh Selvarajan @sureshsrajan]

Happy Birthday Prabhas anna 🍾🤗😘 Presenting a 'SOUND-STORY' in five Indian languages straight from the heart, for every fan who’s felt his 🔥
Telugu - https://t.co/MLostOmqLB
Hindi - https://t.co/GF0jobQ81v
Tamil - https://t.co/8pOSVtXRcG
Kannada - https://t.co/mTlmswfRkF

[Senthl Vinu @SenthilVinu]

A photo with Mikel Toms, the conductor of Maestro Ilaiyaraaja's Valiant Symphony. He was humble and I only wish I had more time to speak with him.

Mikel Toms' Instagram page is in the comments. Please follow him and show your love for his work.

An Interesting Incident: The London Symphony Premiere

At the London premiere, something unexpected happened. As the first movement ended, the audience, filled with Raja sir's fans, erupted in applause and whistling. In Western classical tradition, you do not clap until the entire symphony concludes. Raja sir himself is known to prefer no such interruptions during his concerts.

Having attended symphony performances before, I knew the tradition and didn't clap. I wondered if I was the only one feeling so tense.

The outburst momentarily threw Mikel Toms off. He turned his head toward the audience, visibly shocked, perhaps for the first time in his career, this unwritten rule had been broken. The audience, seeing his reaction, calmed. But Mr. Toms, a true professional, treated the interruption like a past note in a score and moved gracefully into the second movement.

When the audience applauded again after the second movement, he was prepared. He waited, allowed the appreciation to settle, and then began the third movement. I was looking at Raja sir's reaction. He seemed okay with it, but I still held back clapping.

The applause and clapping after the third movement was even louder! The audience, experiencing something new and inescapable, was fully captivated. Seeing no point in resisting, I finally gave in and clapped along, joining the celebration.

This grand celebration sparked such a roar that the London MC mistook it for the end of the symphony. He walked on stage to make an announcement, only to quickly realize his error and retreat. The fourth movement was yet to begin.

Another surprise for Mr. Toms. Again, the seasoned conductor shook it off and stepped into the fourth movement. His focus was solely on performing the symphony.

He conducted a magnificent finale, met with a five-minute standing ovation. This was the moment I finally let myself go, celebrating with complete freedom. I was not alone. The waves of celebration kept coming in movements of their own, as if no one wanted the symphony to end. At some point, I shouted "I love you Raja sir!" amidst a chorus of similar appreciation. This time, Mikel Toms enjoyed the celebration. He bowed to the crowd, which responded with even more fervent applause. Finally, conductor and audience were in perfect communion, not just through the music, but in their shared appreciation for the #ValiantSymphony and the man who created it. Isaignani was waving at the crowd, beaming with happiness and also showed appreciation to Mikel Toms.

Before the symphony began, Raja sir said, "This is the most important day of my life." It was not just in his life; it was the most important day of my life also, and for many others in the audience. The Valiant Symphony is historic, and it is destined to be among the most important works ever produced by an Indian.

Mikel Toms might have had an idea that this would be historic. The interruptions, inconveniences, and new crowd, none of it bothered him. When the day arrived, he made it historic with the help of the great musicians of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Why the Silence Between Movements?

A symphony's four movements are a single, continuous work. The silence between them allows the mood and energy to flow unbroken. It lets the audience digest what they've heard, savor the aftertaste, and anticipate what comes next. It also gives the orchestra and conductor a breath, a moment to emotionally realign before continuing their expression.

The applause at the very end, therefore, releases all that stored energy in a euphoric culmination.

The Evolution of a Tradition

In the Chennai premiere, the audience clapped again after every movement. It was not a symphonic hall, and the crowd was not prepared like in London, so it was noisy even during the movements. Having navigated London, Mr. Toms seemed prepared for any surprise, conducting beautifully through all the unexpected events and noise. His focus was on giving the best performance of the Valiant Symphony for the Chennai audience.

I am guessing the audience clapped after every movement in the recent Dubai premiere.

There are counter opinions even in the West that this modern tradition of silence between movements is elitist, and that in the past, audiences were more expressive and even danced. Whether by accident or design, Indian audiences and Raja sir's work are modifying a Western symphonic etiquette. A new tradition may be born.

Breaking tradition is nothing new for our Isaignani #Ilaiyaraaja, who has embraced this, noting in a recent interview that our audience simply cannot contain their excitement. And Mikel Toms, whether he is entirely comfortable or not, has accepted it with grace. One thing is sure, we are all united in the one tradition that matters: celebrating great music. In this case, the great music comes from one of India's greatest musicians, Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja, wonderfully conducted by Mikel Toms.

Let's show our appreciation for Mikel Toms.

PS: His Instagram page is in the comments below.
#ilaiyaraaja50 #Valiantsymphony

[RegenaCassandrra @ReginaCassandra]

#4yearsofMughizh
@VijaySethuOffl
@vsp_productions
@DoPsathya
@revaamusic
@proyuvraaj
@thinkmusicindia

[Sridhar Ravi @SridharRavi90]

Navin Mozart’s the some of the best suggestions on listening symphonies and kind request to the official team @OneMercuri 👌🏻

இளையராஜாவின் சிம்பொனி நம்பர் 1 – பத்து வேண்டுகோள்கள் 🧵

1. முதலில் சிம்பொனியை வாங்கி முழுமையாகக் கேளுங்கள்.

[Munk @_Drunkenmunk]

Over the past month during free time, updated IR's discography (film+non-filmy) on wiki. Finished today https://t.co/E9jjvbT0eT Updated

[DJR @DJR_Raja4ever]

#ilaiyaraaja ❤️❤️❤️
Finally !! found a strong reason why i’m following you @sudhirsrinivasn 😜😍😍

Your conversation with TK about #illaiyaraaja is still my fav 😍😍

[Sridhar Ravi @SridharRavi90]

Pure musical wizardry 🔥
An ordinary Tamil song hides a funky bass groove over the main melody, a thunderous drums gliding into tabla and back again, all seamless.

Effortlessly making us believe it’s just cinema music, when in fact it’s far more.

-Othaiyila Kanniponnu

[@raaja4ever @raaja4ever]

Thinking of how would the -1 of Idhu Ilamai and here it it.. Way better than the version with vocals. I simply love it. You could follow the Bass to enjoy the entire song and never misses a beat.

[Ilaiyaraaja @ilaiyaraaja]

If you want me to perform one song in my every concert live performance, what would you want it to be?

[Munk @_Drunkenmunk]

Happy Ilayaraja day to all!

[krishna @Actor_Krishna]

C u soon❤️

[Sridhar Ravi @SridharRavi90]

What if composing music was like solving a UX problem? 🤯
Ilaiyaraaja doesn’t just create melodies! he deconstructs emotions, questions everything, and finds the perfect solution. A perspective you’ve never seen before.

Read my blog post in shared link below
(1/2)

[Sridhar Ravi @SridharRavi90]

A #RandomRaajaPattu that hooks me every time and keeps broadening my musical horizons! The way the tabla takes on the role of drums in the second interlude—who would even think of that? Raaja Saare! 🙏����

[Tharani ʀᴛᴋ @iam_Tharani]

It's been 13 years since the release of a beautiful movie #Kazhugu❤️‍🔥

#Yuvan's Soulful music ✨🤍🫠
#13YearsOfKazhugu
@Actor_Krishna | @thisisysr

[Sun Music @SunMusic]

Yuvan’s magic✨❤️

#SunMusic #HitSongs #Kollywood #Tamil #Songs #Music #NonStopHits #Kazhugu #13YearsOfKazhugu #Krishna #Yuvan #BinduMadhavi #YuvanShankarRaja