P Sambamoorthy

Born on 14th February 1901 as the third son of *Sri Pitchu Iyer* at Bitragunta; came of a family belonging to Tiruppunturutti and Varahur, Tanjore Dt., his sixth ancestor *Ghanam Tirumala Iyer*, having been court musician of *King Serfoji* of Tanjore; married *Anandavalli*, cousin of *Vidvan Sabhesa Iyer*, who later collaborated in his music research and publications; learnt his first lessons in music on violin from *Boddu Krishniah*, son of *Boddu Sundariah*, pupil of *Tatchur Singaracharlu*, his vocal traing under *Vidvan Manatattai Doraiswami Iyer* of the *Tyagaraja Sishyaparampara* and also from *Tiruvorriyur S.A. Ramaswami Iyer* and *Ramaswami Bhagavatar* of the Umayalpuram and Walajapet traditions; entered the Madras Education Service in 1928 as Lecturer in Music in Queen Mary's College; in 1931, went to Munich to study Western music and comparatative music; was Lecturer and Reader in Music at the University of Madras from 1937 to 1961, *Director of Sangita Vadyalaya* from 1961 to 1964, *Professor of Musicology* at the S.V. University, Tirupati from 1964 to 1966, returned to to the University of madras under the U.G.C Scheme; has been connected with almost all the Universities of South India and at the Banaras and Delhi in the Organisation of their Music departments; has written 50 books; was honoured by H.H. Sankaracharya of Kamakoti Pitha with the title *Gita-Vadya-Vinoda* and by the President of India with *Padmabhushan*; has been a pioneer and most active peomotor of music education and pedagogy in South India.

-- from *South Indian Music - Book II*, Thirteenth Edition, by the author