Chennai’s Madras Brass is ready to blow the roof off with its first solo concert
Brass instruments can summon the stateliness of a symphony orchestra, the smoky exuberance of a jazz club or the swagger of a funk anthem, yet their repertoire is often imagined within narrower confines. Madras Brass, a versatile ensemble born out of the AR Rahman Foundation’s Sunshine Orchestra, approaches brass with a more expansive musical vocabulary, bringing Western classical music into conversation with jazz, funk, pop, Tamil folk and film music, while adding choreography and audience participation to its performances.
The ensemble has collaborated with an impressive roster of artists and organisations, including AR Rahman, the Bombay Chamber Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of India, the Orchestral Qawwali Project and Cirque de India. Having recently performed at Yamaha Teen Rock 2026 in Bengaluru, Madras Brass is now preparing for its first full-length solo concert in Chennai.
The ensemble’s musical direction comes from Lisa Sarasini, an English trombonist and brass faculty member at KM Music Conservatory, where she joined in 2016. Trained in Western classical performance and experienced across orchestras, brass bands and chamber ensembles, Lisa has been guiding the musicians as they explore the expressive and theatrical possibilities of brass. Ahead of the concert, she discusses the group’s origins, its eclectic repertoire and the challenge of changing audience perceptions of brass instruments.
Q&A with Lisa Sarasini, director of Madras Brass
What makes this group different from a conventional brass band?
The ensemble came together as an idea to create fun and entertaining live performances. Working in the Tamil film industry involves a lot of recording, which is, of course, rewarding, but live music brings a different creative dynamic for us.
Madras Brass is in a unique position because the musicians have been trained in the Western classical style of playing. This means the sound and playing style lend themselves to Western classical music. The interesting twist is our interest in jazz, funk, pop, Tamil folk and film music, and our ability to add a theatrical and entertaining quality to everything we do.
What can audiences expect from this first solo concert? Could you give us a sense of the repertoire and the range of sounds they’ll hear?
From our first concert, you can expect a very diverse programme of music, from Mozart to Bruno Mars, taking a detour through jazz, funk, musical theatre and Tamil favourites! Our group’s trademark dancing and audience participation are mandatory!
As director, what has been the biggest challenge in bringing the group to this point?
The biggest challenge is always selling a new idea to audiences. People are not sure what to expect from brass players and often have preconceived ideas about the limitations of these instruments, assuming they are confined to certain styles. We are here to hopefully change that perception!
What’s next for Madras Brass?
We are currently looking forward to a few diverse shows with our orchestra over the next few months, while continuing with recording work. And yes, we are planning to take Madras Brass out of town for a small tour, which is still in the planning stages.