A.R. Rahman To Inaugurate Chennai Music Academy’s 99th Festival In 2025

The Music Academy’s 99th annual music festival in Chennai, set to commence on December 15, 2025, will be inaugurated by Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman.

“We invited him because he is an icon , a globally renowned composer with deep knowledge across musical traditions, including Carnatic music,” said N. Murali, president of the Music Academy.

The inauguration will also mark the formal induction of violinist R.K. Shriramkumar , this year’s Sangita Kalanidhi designate , as president of the Academy’s annual conferences and concerts. The 2025 edition also gains added significance as it coincides with the 250th birth anniversary of Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the Carnatic music trinity, whose compositions Mr. Shriramkumar has extensively studied and performed.

The Academy has historically engaged with conversations around the influence and growing dominance of film music. In 1988, during his Sangita Kalanidhi designate address, flautist T. Viswanathan observed that film music had become India’s predominant musical form and was steadily overtaking traditional art music. Rahman himself has created numerous film compositions rooted in Carnatic ragas.

Filmmaker and cinematographer Rajiv Menon, a long-time collaborator of Rahman, said the composer was a fitting choice to inaugurate the milestone edition. “Rahman is at the forefront of Indian and global music. His work spans languages and geographies, blending Indian classical, folk and Sufi influences with contemporary Western soundscapes,” he said.

“Rahman made Indian popular music a pan-Indian force. He has remained relevant for over three decades by adapting to changing audiences, creators and technologies. From Kodambakkam to Mumbai to Hollywood, he continues to be a musical powerhouse. His journey as both student and teacher, including through his music school, speaks to his enduring impact,” Menon added.