A.R. Rahman had a press conference today to announce his latest venture, the K.M. Music Conservatory and the K.M. Symphony Orchestra. The conservatory panel has eminent musicians, who, along with Rahman, will be handling the courses and all other activites. Prominent among them are noted composer and violinist L. Subramanium, Hindustani classical exponent Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Dr. Sreenivas Krishnan and of course, A.R. Rahman himself. Speaking on the occasion, Khan saab congratulated Rahman on his venture. He extended his heartfelt support to the Academy. "My sons and I find great pleasure in being a part of this journey. We will be associated with the Hindustani classical music faculty here." LS too, expressed his happiness. He said that it is a fantastic concept and also a huge task. Only someone like ARR could take this up. He felt confident that the conservatory would be a tremendous place for musical knowledge and technology. It would provide a holistic approach to music. The formal inauguration of the conservatory is expected to take place in a couple of months. When asked about the reasons behind starting this academy, Rahman said that he had always aspired to have a symphony orchestra in India. In his various trips abraod, whenever he worked with the orchestras there, he felt that it was neccessary to have a similar orchestra here in India. He hoped that this effort of his will give all aspiring musicians an exposure to world musis. He was also confidet that this symphony orchestra will complement all Indian music. To begin with, 150 students will join the conservatory. Courses in music and music technology will be conducted. There will also be courses for upcoming musicians to hone their skills. The Academy hopes to move to their new campus outside the city by next year.