As the December Music Season progresses, some of those behind the scenes seem to have reached significant landmarks in terms of years of service to the arts. There is, of course, the Music Academy, hosting its 99th annual conference and concerts, though that does not mean it will complete a 100 next year – that landmark will be in 2028. The confusion, as far as the conference count is concerned, is due to the long history of the institution. I hope to explain that conundrum closer to the (actual) centenary.
A.R. Rahman speaks at the inauguration of the 99th Annual Conference and Concerts of the Music Academy in Chennai on December 15, 2025 | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
The Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (SPSS), the oldest surviving organisation of its kind, turned 125 this year. Interestingly, and in contrast to the Academy, it may be older than what it claims to be, for it was in 1896 that its parent body, the Sangita Vidwat Sabha, was founded in Thiruvallikeni. The SPSS was registered in 1900 and traces its origins to that date. What is interesting is that the Sangita Vidwat Sabha did not vanish as an idea, for in 1926, it gave birth to a Musical Academy. That seems to have been short-lived and then in 1928 came the Music Academy, which calls itself in the vernacular as the Sangita Vidwat Sabha! It all seems most confusing. But when we read in R. Rangaramanuja Iyengar’s Musings of a Musician, the rather cryptic remark that the present Music Academy is the third of its kind, we seem to see the logic behind it.
