This month, Sound Box zeroes in on one of the prime concert halls in south India
Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall If not for the timely intervention of Krish Kumar, what would have become an expensive school assembly and prayer hall, has turned into one of the finest concert halls in the country.
When Krish Kumar’s grandparents, Sir M. Venkatasubba Rao and Lady Andal Venkatasubba Rao conceived the idea of the Madras Seva Sadan back in 1988, little would they have dreamt that their grandson would establish an international standard concert hall which not only serves the purpose of providing comfortable viewing of entertainment events, but also is an excellent source of income for the Sadan’s various charitable activities – like an school for underprivileged children and a home for destitute women.
After years of dabbling in music retail and DJ-ing, Krish’s keen business acumen saw in this venture an opportunity to promote performing arts, especially music, dance and theatre. Situated in the heart of Chennai, in a prime residential locality on Harrington Road, the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall (SMVCH) is housed within the vast campus of Lady Andal School which is also part of the Madras Seva Sadan.
A sound facility
The massive 45000 sq. ft. two-floored structure houses the concert hall which occupies 20000 square feet and the rest is allotted to an art school and gallery. The hall can seat 32 on the ground floor and 500 in the balcony.
The Hall management team provides complete production solutions which include technical support for sound and lights, in-built sound and light facilities wired to a professionally manned console, permanent generators for uninterrupted power supply, adequate manpower at all points, including parking assistants and security staff. An organiser or performer has to just arrive with their equipment and any accessories. After that, Krish and his team take over, leaving the performers to concentrate on their music or any other performing arts.
Technical features
The sound and light facilities are pre-installed and capable of providing comprehensive range for any type of event. This includes a Yamaha 64 channel digital mixer, KME speakers, Sennheiser mikes, Vox, Hartke and Rolan amps.
When the school packs up for the day, the Concert Hall comes alive and the vast grounds are able to accommodate almost 300 cars. There is a full-fledged cafeteria for all food needs. Valet service is provided on request and parking assistants help in proper allocation of space for vehicles. This is complemented by good security service.
For more details: www.sirmuthamemorial.com
