The audio launch of Symphony No. 1 – New Beginnings by Chennai-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Lydian Nadhaswaram was a celebration of imagination and perseverance. Held on World Music Day at The Music Academy, the programme brought together people across generations to watch the performance by a young composer on the global symphonic stage.

A symphony demands an understanding of the grammar of every instrument. The strings, harp, woodwinds, brass and percussion sections — each contributes to the larger musical conversation. Lydian’s work reflects this insight, bringing together diverse textures and emotions into a unified orchestral canvas.

The audio-visual presentation traced Lydian’s musical journey. Performed by the 92-member London Symphony Orchestra, the composition revealed layers of harmony. Conductor Matt Dunkley highlighted the distinct identities of all four movements, observing that such contrasts are central to the spirit of a symphony.

After completing Thirukkural 1330, a musical interpretation of the Tamil couplets, Lydian took up the symphony as his next challenge. He completed the digital mock-up of the composition in May. The recording later took place at Abbey Road studios in London, where Matt’s conducting brought clarity to every musical detail.

The London Symphony Orchestra recognised Lydian as the youngest Indian and Asian composer to compose and record a symphony. Calling it a ‘people’s symphony’, Lydian dedicated the work to composers, musicians and aspiring artistes.

The symphony’s first movement ‘Allegretto’, carried an energetic spirit. The second, ‘Tranquillo’, began with a reflective cello passage before expanding through woodwinds, strings and harp. The harp established the movement’s central motif, recurring as a delicate thread through its progression. The composition later moved into a double harmonic major scale, introducing a dramatic shade with Middle Eastern tonal influences. The composition wound up by bringing together the sounds of the harp and cello. The third movement, ‘Quest’, showcased the brilliance of the strings, while the final one, ‘Ascension’, rose with the power of the brass section.

Symphony No. 1 – New Beginnings stands as both a personal achievement and an invitation for Indian audiences to explore the world of symphonic music.