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