Muthuswami dikshitar and violin

The Great Violin Maestros Of The Past

Written by V. V. Ramesh for Pallavi's Lalgudi G. Jayaraman Sydney Concert Souvenir, November 1995

The violin is believed to have been introduced into Carnatic music some 190 years ago. Over the ensuing years, many great violinists have adapted this Western instrument to Carnatic music and made it an integral part of the concert stage. On this memorable occasion, it will be only apt to recollect the great contributions made to Carnatic music by the pioneers in the field, who introduced and popularised the violin in Carnatic music. In this article, the life and times of four such pioneers are briefly outlined.

Baluswami Dikshitar (1786 - 1859)

Baluswami Dikshitar is believed to be the pioneer who introduced violin to Carnatic Music.

Baluswami Dikshitar was the son of Ramaswami Dikshitar, the scholar-composer and a brother of Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the Carnatic musical trinity. He was a multi-faceted personality who could pl