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| A.R. Rahman - Founder and Principal |
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A.R. Rahman has redefined Indian film music, is the pride of the Indian nation and a role model for millions around the world. Rahman, hailed by Time magazine as the ‘Mozart of Madras’ is one of the most successful artists of all time and, according to a BBC estimate, has sold more than 100 million albums.
In 1991, noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam offered Rahman the movie ‘Roja,’ for which he received the Indian National Award for the Best Music Composer, the first time ever by a debutant. Time magazine rated the soundtrack of ‘Roja’ in their top ten compilations of the All Time 100 Best Movie Soundtracks of the World. Ever since, Rahman has continued to win nation-wide acclaim and is widely considered to be the man who single-handedly revived public interest in Indian film music.
In 2001, Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer of musicals like ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ ‘Cats,’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar;’ invited Rahman to compose for the musical, ‘Bombay Dreams.’ This was the first time that he entrusted another musician to compose the music for one of his productions. The show went on to have an unprecedented run of two years at London’s West End, and later it premiered on Broadway in New York.
In 2002, Rahman worked extensively with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague to compose the score for Sony Classical’s Chinese film, ‘Warriors of Heaven and Earth.’
He also composed ‘Raga’s Dance’ for the award winning violinist, Vanessa Mae, during which he worked extensively with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2006, Rahman performed at the Hollywood Bowl, another first for an Indian artist.
Recently, Rahman has collaborated with Finnish band, Vartina, on stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings,’ which premiered in Canada in 2006 and in London in 2007; and with musician Craig Armstrong on Shekhar Kapur’s ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age,’ which was nominated for the Classical Brit Awards. Rahman’s music has also been incorporated in several international films, including ‘Lord of War,’ and ‘Inside Man.’
In 2008, Rahman composed for the soundtrack for the internationally acclaimed movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ for which he won a BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and two Academy Awards.
In 2004, outside of his music career, Rahman was appointed as a global ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by the World Health Organization; and more recently, he has launched the A.R. Rahman Foundation. The vision of the foundation is to alleviate poverty by providing education to the less fortunate. After this initiative, Rahman composed his first English single, ‘Pray for me brother,’ which was released in 2007, and all proceeds going to the A.R. Rahman Foundation.
In the last year, A.R. Rahman has also been fortune to receive honorary doctorates Middlesex University in London, Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, and Anna University in Chennai. |
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