On Monday, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) set up the 'Maestro Ilaiyaraaja Centre for Music Learning and Research' on its premises. The foundation stone for the IIT-M centre was laid by Ilaiyaraaja and Tripura Governor Indirasena Reddy Nallu on May 20, 2024. 

Ilaiyaraaja and V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT-M also exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), under which Ilaiyaraaja donated all of his music notes towards the IIT-M Maestro Ilaiyaraaja Centre for Music, Learning and Research. 

#JUSTIN | சென்னை ஐஐடி - இசைஞானி இளையராஜா இடையே புரிந்துணர்வு ஒப்பந்தம்

சென்னை ஐஐடி வளாகத்தில் ‘மேஸ்ட்ரோ இளையராஜா இசை கற்றல் மற்றும் ஆராய்ச்சி மையம்’ தொடக்கம்#SunNews | #Ilayaraja | @iitmadras pic.twitter.com/oaDuDotI1P

— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) May 20, 2024

The director of IIT Madras also revealed that since a lot of research goes into understanding music, and advanced technologies such as AI being used in music, the institute felt that more research could follow with Ilaiyaraaja's contributions. Hence they had approached the composer, and he seems to have gladly obliged.

Soon to be 81 years old, Ilaiyaraaja's name is synonymous with the music royalty fight in Tamil cinema, and the veteran composer has been strict about the rights over his compositions. Him donating all his music notes to the future musical minds of IIT-M's research center, has hence come as a welcome surprise. 

 

“In my town there was no one to teach music. If you can make one thirsty he will find a way to quench it. If you have a passion to learn you will achieve great heights. I want you to be involved and join me,

 

An institution such IIT-M, after 200 years of Mozart, should produce 200 Ilayaraajas. Music is as natural as my breath,” - Ilaiyaraaja at the IIT-M reasearch center inauguration

 

The IIT-M Maestro Ilaiyaraaja Centre for Music Learning and Research, has been proposed to be made of bamboo, complete with an amphitheater.