Back from Chennai, my eleventh visit there after a hiatus of a few years, and exactly 15 years after I first started studying Carnatic music at the Brhaddhvani Centre with Professor Karaikudi Subramanian, on a scholarship from the Sibelius Academy. With approximately 100 concerts a day for six weeks, the Madras Music Season in the Tamil month of Maargazhi (December-January) is the biggest music festival in the world. Overwhelming and awesome as always, to be immersed in music, seeing old friends, teachers and colleagues, making plans for next year, and celebrating the centenary of Finland, apparently.
Ilari Kaila, composer 