Landmark venues of the Music Academy

The Music Academy Madras is a landmark institution, and everyone is familiar with the Academy’s present location on TTK Road in Chennai. However, it has journeyed across several well known, important venues in the city of Madras-Chennai before nestling into its strategic position.

This blog and the video link below titled ‘Moving with the Music Academy’ will take you on an interesting pictorial trip down memory lane.

18th August 1928: The Academy was inaugurated at the YMCA Auditorium, in Esplanade.

March 1929: First conference in the lecture hall of the Senate House in the University of Madras.

April 1930: Academic conference at Mani Iyer’s Hall, Rajah Hanumantha Lala Street, in Triplicane.

December 1930: Conference at specially erected illuminated pandal at My Ladye’s Garden. A part of People’s Park where the conferences were held from 1930 to 1935.

1936: Conference held jointly with Congress at Congress House during the exhibition.

1937: Conference at Patters Garden in Lodd Govinddoss Garden — the palatial bungalow.

1939 to 1941: Conferences held at Senate House.

1943: Conference held at RR Sabha.

1946: Home Sweet Home, 115 E Mowbrays Road for regular meetings and music classes.

1940s: The Academy’s office in the Kesari Kuteeram premises.

1956: Conference held in thatched shelter at PS High School.

1959: Competitions were held in the zinc shed behind the group in the PS High School premises.

Early 1960s: At home. The Music Academy came into its own new hall in the present premises.