Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu

Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu was born on November 3, 1893 in Bangalore into a family of musicians. His father Venkata Rayudu served in the army and played in the military band. Because Venkataswamy's eyesight was poor, he gave up conventional education early.

His brother Venkatakrishnaiah first introduced him to the violin, and he received intensive training under Sangameswara Sastry. A child prodigy, he quickly became an expert, and at age 14 the critic Marepalli Ramachandra Rao named him Fiddle Naidu.

His scholarship in both Indian and Western styles developed at the Maharaja's Music College, Vizianagaram, where he later served as principal. Though a traditionalist, he was also an innovator, known for purity of tone, soft bowing, and firm fingering.

He showed that the violin could carry Carnatic music with the dignity of traditional instruments like the veena. His sweetness impressed leading Carnatic vocalists, Yehudi Menuhin, and Rabindranath Tagore.

He received honours including Sangeetha Kalanidhi from the Madras Music Academy in 1941, Sangeeta Ratnakara from the Maharaja of Mysore, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and Padma Shri. A statue of Venkataswamy Naidu stands in Vishakhapatnam.

His children Dwaram Mangatayaru and Dwaram Satyanarayana are remembered within the practicing violin lineage.