The Tamil Nadu Government Music College in Chennai teaches three-year diplomas in a dozen subjects, from vocal and veena to nagaswaram, thavil and morsing, plus a BA in Music, weekend degrees and evening certificates. It works from Brodie Castle on Dr. D.G.S. Dinakaran Salai in R.A. Puram, on the bank of the Adyar, according to the Department of Art and Culture. The state’s 2026-27 policy note, presented in August, puts the monthly stipend at the four government music colleges at Rs 1,500 for ten months a year, Deccan Chronicle reported.
Fees are among the lowest anywhere for formal music training, and the college is the oldest of the state’s music colleges. Here is what it offers, who can apply and how the yearly admission round works.
A college that began in 1949
The college started under government control in 1949 as the Central College of Karnatak Music, writes historian Sriram V in a platinum jubilee piece. The idea of a state-funded Carnatic music institution came from C. Rajagopalachari, and a committee that included the musicologist P. Sambamoorthy, who drew up the syllabus, set it up. Its first principal was the vocalist Musiri Subramania Iyer.
It moved twice before settling at Brodie Castle in 1956: first Rahmat Bagh on Santhome High Road, then Bridge House on the northern bank of the Adyar. The same campus now houses the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University, to which the college is affiliated.
Courses on offer
The college’s admission notice for 2025-26, summarised by Mylapore Times, listed these programmes:
- Three-year diploma: vocal, veena, violin, flute, mridangam, Bharatanatyam, nagaswaram, thavil, kadam (ghatam), kanjira, morsing and folk arts.
- One-year music teacher training (Diploma in Music Teaching).
- Three-year BA in Music.
- Four-year weekend bachelor’s degree: vocal, veena, violin, Bharatanatyam and flute.
- Two-year evening certificate: vocal, veena, violin and mridangam.
Who can apply
The department’s course page for the college sets out the entry rules:
| Course | Minimum qualification | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma (any major) | Std X pass | 16 to 21 |
| Nattuvangam | Std X plus diploma or degree in Bharatanatyam | 16 to 21 |
| Diploma in Music Teaching | Std X plus diploma or degree in music | 16 to 21 |
| BA degree | Std XII pass | 17 to 22 |
| Two-year certificate | SSLC | 16 and above |
Because the evening and weekend courses have looser age rules, they suit working adults who want structured training without giving up a job.
Fees, stipend and hostel
The same page lists yearly fees. Diploma students pay Rs 325 in tuition and Rs 425 in special fees; there is no tuition fee for the music teaching diploma or for nagaswaram and thavil. BA students pay Rs 1,180 in tuition (Rs 5,350 for foreign students), Rs 300 in special fees and a Rs 10 admission fee.
The stipend has risen sharply. The 2024-25 policy note gave Rs 500 a month; the 2026-27 note gives Rs 1,500. The 2025 notice said the stipend is not paid on the evening and weekend courses, and that students who studied in Tamil medium can also apply for the Tamil Pudhalvan and Pudhumai Penn scholarships.
There is a hostel for women only, with a vegetarian mess. It asks for a refundable caution deposit of Rs 2,000 (Rs 3,000 for overseas students).
How admission works
- Watch for the notice, usually in late spring. The 2025 round was announced in May for the academic year starting that June.
- Download the form from the Art and Culture Department’s website or collect it from the college office, open Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm.
- Pay the fee into the college’s SBI account as instructed on the course page and submit the form with certificates.
- Expect a practical test of your playing or singing; the diploma is meant for students who already have some grounding.
The college phone number given in the 2025 notice is 044 2493 7217. The department lists B. Sairam as head of the college. The Directorate of Art and Culture in Egmore can be reached on 044 2819 3195.
Quick answers
Where is the Government Music College in Chennai?
At Brodie Castle, Dr. D.G.S. Dinakaran Salai, R.A. Puram, Chennai 600 028, on the same campus as the state music and fine arts university.
Do students get paid to study?
Yes. Full-time students receive a stipend for ten months a year, now Rs 1,500 a month according to the 2026-27 policy note.
Can I learn nagaswaram or thavil there?
Yes, as a three-year diploma with no tuition fee, and a degree course in both was added in 2023-24.
Is there an age limit?
Diploma applicants must be 16 to 21 and BA applicants 17 to 22. The two-year certificate has only a minimum age of 16.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Admissions open for courses of TN Government Music College in R A Puram (Mylapore Times)
- Courses offered and eligibility criteria (Department of Art and Culture, Tamil Nadu)
- Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University (Department of Art and Culture)
- Contact us (Department of Art and Culture, Tamil Nadu)
- Art and Culture Policy Note 2024-25 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- TN Minister Rajmohan presents policy note for tourism, culture (Deccan Chronicle)
- Platinum Jubilee: Brodie Castle, home of the Tamil Nadu Government Music College (Sriram V)
