Vadivelu

Vadivelu was one of the illustrious members of the Tanjore Quartet, along with Chinniah, Ponniah, and Sivanandam. Their father, Mahadeva Annavi, an accomplished veena player, took them to Muthuswami Dikshitar for advanced musical training.

After this training, Vadivelu and his brothers became Asthana vidwans of the Tanjore court. Later, they moved to the Travancore court under Maharaja Swati Tirunal, where Vadivelu became deeply loved among the artistes of the court.

Vadivelu learnt violin from a European missionary at Tanjore. A scholar in Tamil and Telugu, he was also a distinguished vocalist, violinist, composer, and bharathanatyam exponent.

His musical scholarship drew praise from kings, patrons, and Saint Thyagaraja himself. Vadivelu composed kritis and varnams during his tenure at the Travancore court, and his gifts in music and dance are often described as an extraordinary confluence of attainments.