Veena Venkatagiriyappa

Veene Venkatagiriyappa was the son of Venkataramappa, a scholar in the court of the Maharaja of Mysooru. He was born on the 26, April 1887 at Heggadadevanakote in modern Mysooru district. He had his initial musical training under his uncle Chikka Subba Rao, who was also a musician in the Maharaja’s court.

However, he is supposed to have been deeply impressed by the Veene playing of Veene Sheshanna, took every opportunity to listen to him play and modelled his own style on the great man’s music. Later, he had the opportunity to learn from the great man himself. Sheshanna was impressed by the young man’s talent and taught him wholeheartedly.

He also had an introduction to western classical music under the director of the orchestra, one Duffris, maintained by the Maharaja. He compiled, in twenty volumes, a collection of Carnatic classical compositions rendered using the western musical notation.

He was appointed as a musician in the court of the Maharaja and also as the director of the Indian musical ensemble. He also taught music in the Maharani’s Girls High School in Mysooru. He was also appointed the director of the musical examinations conducted by the then Mysooru state.

Three of his pupils attained name and fame in Veene playing - Doreswamy Iyengar, R. N. Doreswamy, M. J. Srinivasa Iyengar and also V. Desikachar a flutist (and brother of Doreswamy Iyengar).

He is reputed to have been an excellent teacher and a very generous man. He died in 1951, in abject poverty because of the latter quality.

References

"Sangita Samaya", by S Krishnamurthy