T. Chowdiah (1895 – 1967) was a violin maestro of Karnatik music. A student of Bidaram Krishnappa, he was renowned both as an accompanist to legendary vocalists, and as a soloist. Chowdiah modified the four-stringed violin, by adding three additional strings. The resulting seven-stringed violin increased its amplification, allowing it to be heard clearly in a pre-microphone era. Chowdiah was guru to many disciples, and founded the Ayyanar College of Music. What is perhaps less known is that Chowdiah was also a music composer, and is said to have composed nearly 50 compositions – mainly krithis and thillanas. In this archive, students will find video recordings of the compositions, as well as the notations, with the vision that more musicians should learn and sing these compositions in the years to come.Through this website you can :
This website is dedicated to the legacy of violin maestro T. Chowdiah and is a digital archive of his compositions, as well as other information about this legendary musician. This archive is an initiative of Karnatik vocalist Manasi Prasad, whose mother belongs to Chowdiah’s lineage of disciples, and has been developed in collaboration with Shankar Mahadevan Academy, with content curation by the Indian Music Experience Museum. The project has been made possible by grants from the Academy of Music (Chowdiah Memorial Hall) as well as the family of B. R. Ramaprasad.
The Indian Music Experience (IME) is India’s only interactive music museum. The IME is an initiative of the non-profit Indian Music Experience Trust, supported by the Brigade Group. The vision of the museum is to increase the understanding and appreciation of the diversity of Indian music, from the traditional to the contemporary through exhibits, performances and learning activities. Read More>>
