Mysore T Chowdiah

Vidwan T. Chowdiah or Tirumakudalu Chowdiah (Born 10 January 1895 - Died 19 January 1967) was an eminent Indian Carnatic Classical Music violinist. Chowdiah, was born in Tirumakudal Narsipur village on the banks of the river Kaveri near Mysore. He became a disciple of Mysore Royal Court musician, Ganavisharadha Shri. Bidaram Krishnappa in 1910 and underwent a very rigorous and disciplined training until 1918 in the gurukula system. In his early years, he played the four stringed violin, and by 1927 he became an extremely well known violin accompanist.Those were the days when there was no sound amplification equipment and it was rather difficult for listeners who sat in the back rows of music halls to hear him playing the violin. Chowdiah realized this shortcoming and launched upon increasing the sound of the violin. He improvised the violin by adding three more strings such as Tara Shadja - Mandra Shadja, Madhya Panchama - Mandra Panchama and Madhya Shadja Mandra Shadja. After practicing incessantly, he began to use this new seven stringed violin in all his concerts. He experimented, innovated and practiced to achieve perfection, all without the knowledge of his Guru. With his devoted practice, Shri. Chowdiah became a very great violinist. The name Chowdiah and the violin were synonymous with each other. With Bidaram Krishnappa’s encouragement, courage and mastery, Shri Chowdiah, earned fame, affection and respect from all his great contemporaries. All musicians desired to have him as their violin accompanist. It is said that the brilliant vocalist Shri G.N. Balasubramanyam would request sabha secretaries, who wanted to arrange his concert, that they should talk to Chowdiah’s first to make sure he is available to accompany on violin. By devoted practice, application, grit and learning, Shri Chowdiah rose to Himalayan heights in the world of Carnatic music. Chowdiah, had many disciples. The list included the likes of Shri R. K. Venkatarama Sastry (violin), Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam (vocal), Shri. Kandevieri Alagiri Swamy (violin), Shri. Palghat C. R. Mani (violin), Shri Chennai V. Sethuramaiah (violin) and others. Later, Ramanujam, Madurai Venugopal, Chinnappa, H. R. Seetharama Shastri and others became disciples of Chowdiah. As a guru Shri Chowdiah was very affectionate towards his disciples. After a stellar career as a performing artist, innovator, guru and composer, Shri T. Chowdiah left his mortal remain in 1967 at the age of 72. While he remains as a shining star in the hearts and minds of true connoisseurs’ of carnatic music, his life and career and his contribution to carnatic music is alive and well throughout the world of carnatic music. The violin shaped unique architecture of Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore, India built in memory of Shri Chowdiah stands to represent the gigantic musical personality that personified Shri Chowdiah.