Singaporean Parthiban Murugaiyan’s concert and events production company Maestro Productions has staged only four events in Singapore and one each in London and Toronto. But it has already been called a trendsetter and a mega success.
Last Saturday, it staged the four-hour, sold-out concert High On U1, featuring popular Tamil music composer and singer Yuvan Shankar Raja, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The 11,000-strong audience was treated to a hi-tech, extravagant Indian production showcasing elaborate staging, lighting effects and classy side acts.
“This was something totally new to me,” said 21-year-old undergraduate Pradeep Kumar.
“I just loved it that there was space allocated for people to stand near the stage, where they could see the artiste up close and dance.”
Mr Parthiban told tabla! that he started Maestro six years ago to bring in big-name Indian musicians – its debut production featured renowned Tamil film music composer Ilaiyaraaja at The Star Theatre in 2018.
“I soon found that this is a niche target market that has a huge potential to grow to a very big level,” said the 51-year-old managing director of Maestro, who is also chairman and managing director of Ishtara Jewellery in Serangoon Road.
“I realised that it is important to have a high-quality production and cater to what the audience wants.”
The company has a 10-member core team which includes Mr Parthiban’s wife Jessica, who provides strategic support. All the production and marketing work is done in-house, with employees located in Singapore, London and Toronto.
Mr Parthiban pointed out that there is always demand for high-quality music concerts, but event organisers in Singapore often do not package their products well.
Maestro hit pay dirt when a March 4 concert starring wildly popular Indian music producer and singer Anirudh Ravichander at the Singapore Indoor Stadium sold all 12,000 tickets within a day.
In further proof of Maestro’s knack for understanding what fans really want, ticket-holders to Indian-American singer Sid Sriram’s concert did not give up hope when the show was called off in May 2020 because of the pandemic. Three in five of them still had their tickets when the concert was rescheduled to November last year at The Star Theatre.
A concert organised by Maestro can cost up to $2 million, with a profit margin of between 30 per cent and 50 per cent – what Mr Parthiban describes as “decent money” and an impressive performance that is nothing like his early days in the concert business in 2017.
“I invested $200,000 in a gig, but lost all the money because it failed,” he said.
“I love music and I wanted to diversify. I have been in the jewellery line since I took over the family business from my father when I was 23. But I made the mistake of letting someone else do the show.
“I was hurt but I learnt my lesson. I decided that I would dive deep into the music production business and do the whole thing myself.”
Mr Parthiban and his team attended concerts by Taiwanese singer Eric Chou, Singaporean artiste JJ Lin, British rock band Coldplay and K-pop girl group Blackpink. They kept their eyes peeled and picked up valuable tips.
“If you look at what we are doing today, compared to what we were doing when we started, it’s totally a 180-degree change,” he said.
While extravagant shows with elaborate staging and lighting effects are the standard at K-pop shows, it is not the case for Indian music gigs in Singapore. So Maestro set out to change that.
“Just pumping in money is not everything in this business,” revealed Mr Parthiban, who was born here and attended Victoria School and Catholic Junior College.
“You have to know what the fans want, the ticket price point, manage the artiste well and know which one will click in this region.
“You have to be creative and make sure it is packaged well, and everything is analysed and perfected along the way. It is not as simple as buying something and selling it.”
Mr Parthiban and his team improved the overall concert experience for fans, such as giving them LED wristbands that change colours during the show, and going big on stage set-up and sound quality.
Anirudh’s concert had a 360-degree-view stage – the first in an Indian rock concert in Singapore – and cost three times more than a normal set-up. But the fans loved it, so Maestro used the same concept for Yuvan’s concert.
“If you look at it, the younger generation is very active,” said Mr Parthiban.
“For them, a concert is not just sitting and watching. It’s more like going to a party with friends. For four hours, people want to forget all their problems and enjoy themselves.
“We just focus on what they want, make sure they get the maximum and the best experience. We do not compromise on quality or money.”
This year, Mr Parthiban has planned five Indian concerts in Singapore, Canada and the United Kingdom. Next year, he will go big by adding Western, K-pop and Bollywood music acts.
“We will be expanding, we will be going to Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong and South Africa,” he said.
“We already have a team working on the new initiative. Soon, we will be announcing a very big event, a music festival. We are moving global and into the mainstream markets.”
What about his jewellery business?
“We now have about 10 stores in Singapore and Hong Kong,” said Mr Parthiban, who is also director of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and first vice-president of the Singapore Indian Association.
“I am not taking my eyes off it. It is very capital-intensive, so the expansion will be slow.
“The concept of the music business, on the other hand, is different because it is project-based. You do one project, you make sure you do it well and move on to the next.
“There are fixed costs such as salaries and office maintenance, but they are manageable.
“Next year is going to be hectic as we have signed up a number of artistes, but I’m confident we will do well.”
