| Biography | The first president of the Society was Jayachama Rajendra Wadiyar Bahadur (18 July 1919 23 September 1974) who was the 25th and the last Maharaja of Mysore.
The Maharaja financially supported the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Society. He was able to engage Herbert von Karajan as conductor.and sponsored Balakirev's Symphony, Roussel's Fourth Symphony, Busoni's Indian Fantasy etc.
The Maharaja also enabled Richard Strauss's last wish to be fulfilled by sponsoring an evening at the Royal Albert Hall by London's Philharmonia Orchestra with German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler in the lead and soprano Kirsten Flagstad singing his Four Last Songs in 1950.
|