Advanced School of Carnatic Music

Academic Council:

Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. R. Vedavalli

Sangita Kala Acharya Dr. Ritha Rajan

Sangita Kala Acharya Suguna Varadachari

Sangita Kala Acharya Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi

Dr. Meenakshi (Sumathi) Krishnan (Convenor)

ADVANCED SCHOOL OF CARNATIC MUSIC (ASCM)

Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. R. Vedavalli – Director

Sangita Kala Acharya Prof. Ritha Rajan – Associate Director

Faculty:

Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. S. Sowmya

Sangita Kalanidhi Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan

Sangita Kala Acharya Smt. Suguna Varadachari

Sangita Kala Acharya Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi

Vidwan Dr. Sriram Parasuram

Vidushi Dr. Sumithra Vasudev

Vidushi Dr. Baby Sriram

Vidwan Sri C.R. Vaidhyanathan

Vidushi Ms. Amritha Murali

Vidwan Sri Delhi Muthukumar

Vidwan Shertallay Dr. K.N. Renganatha Sharma

Semmangudi family gifts tambura to ASCM

As part of the 115th birth anniversary celebrations of Sangita Kalanidhi Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer (born 25th July 1908), his family members gifted a tambura to the Advanced School of Carnatic Music of the Music Academy, Madras, on 17th July 2023.

Receiving the tambura are Sangita Kala Acharya Dr. Ritha Rajan (Associate Director of ASCM), and vidwan C.R. Vaidyanathan, flanked by vidwans Delhi Muthukumar, Sangita Kala Acharya Dr R.S. Jayalakshmi (all faculty members of ASCM) and Dr. Meenakshi (Sumathi) Krishnan (Convenor, Academic Council ASCM).

The tambura is being used by the students of the Advanced School of Carnatic Music of the Music Academy, Madras.

Admissions open in the month of June every year

Substantial scholarships are awarded to students out of the income from the endowments instituted by M/s L Lakshman and L Ganesh, and the Mala Ramadorai scholarships”.

The Advanced School of Carnatic Music, started in August 2010, is housed in a building constructed about twenty five years ago as an appendage behind the main auditorium.This building used to house the Teachers College of Music which the Academy was running for over seventy five years and had to be discontinued because it had outlived its utility. In its place came this Advanced School aiming at high standards of excellence. The structures at the rear of the property started to erode the ambience of the school. The noise from service activities concentrated in the area, were a severe disturbance to the classrooms which were not air-conditioned and therefore had to work with windows open.

A decision was taken to upgrade the facility and bring it in line with the other buildings in the complex. The four classrooms in the front block were air-conditioned and sound proofed. External noises were eliminated by providing air-tight UPVC windows and special doors. Ceilings and walls were covered with acoustic panelling to overcome the problem of reverberation and to improve sound quality. The floor was finished with a seamless PVC covering for the same reason. Each class room now has ample storage space specially designed for storing veenas, mridangams and violins along the back wall and a small dais and a white board in the front. Lighting was also improved by installing LED lamps in keeping with the academy’s policy of energy efficiency. Two additional rooms in the first floor of the block behind the school, but which are connected by an overhead link were also upgraded. Apart from a small lunch room for students and staff, there is a large room, also designed for good acoustics, which can accommodate an audience of about twenty persons. This gives the academy a wide range of music halls that can be used for different purposes.

This project has been made possible by a generous grant as part of their CSR initiative by Temenos India Private limited towards the enhancement and upgradation of the building and classroom infrastructure of the Advanced School of Carnatic Music.This was completed in July 2016.

The architectural services and oversight for this project were provided pro bono by Shri PT Krishnan — a very fine and renowned architect with a passion for heritage conservation and who has been involved in all the projects relating to the upgradation of the Academy’s infrastructure and facilities over the last decade.

The seventh convocation of ASCM was held on 26th August 2022. Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. Sudha Ragunathan was the Chief Guest. Three batches of students who completed their course in 2020, 2021 and 2022 received their Diplomas along with the title “Sangita Vidvat Bhushanam”.

The Advanced School of Carnatic Music is gradually emerging as a world class teaching institution.

Advanced Diploma in Carnatic Music (Vocal).

Duration: 3 year Course with 2 semesters every year, Mid July – November end & Mid January – June end

Classes: Monday to Friday (five days a week) from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Eligibility: 

Applicants should have minimum educational qualification of +2 (successfully completed)

Age should be between 18 to 30 years 

Should be able to sing Varnams, Kritis and have a reasonable level of Manodharma.

For further details please contact:
The Music Academy Madras
(Old No. 306), New No. 168, T.T.K. Road,
Royapettah Chennai 600 014.
Tel: 2811 2231 / 2811 5162
Email: music@musicacademymadras.com 

The Convocation of the Advanced School of Carnatic Music was held on 9th September, 2023 at 10 A.M.