T. Chowdiah, a towering personality in the field of Carnatic music, was born on 1 January 1894 in Tirumakudalu Narasipura (or T. Narasipura, near Mysore). At the age of seven, he received training from Pakkanna and later under T. Subbanna. At the age of sixteen, he was tutored by Bidaram Krishnappa for eighteen years at the end of which Chowdiah emerged as an accomplished violinist. The ambidextrous Chowdiah is known to have played music with all the famous musicians of his day. In 1939, he was appointed court musician by King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and received such titles as "Sangeeta Ratna", "Sangeeta Kalanidhi" and "Ganakala Sindhu". He is credited with many compositions in Kannada, Telugu and Sanskrit under the pen name "Trimakuta" (the Sanskrit name for his home town). Dr. B. Devedrappa, a native of Ayanoor in Shivamogga district, was well versed in playing the veena, violin, jalatarang and dilruba. He was a student of the famous Veena Sheshanna and also of Bidaram Krishnappa. He was proficient at the harmonium, flute, ghatam and sitar. He was appointed as a jalatarang player in the court of King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and served the palace orchestra as a vocalist and violinist. The titles "Gana Visharada" and "Sangeeta Kalaratna" were bestowed upon him by the king. Later, in 1972, an honorary doctorate was awarded to him. Other famous musicians in the court were Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar of Tirunaveli (Tamil Nadu), Tiruvayyar Subramanya Iyer, and Anavatti Rama Rao of Anavatti (in Shivamogga district) who was a scholar, poet and dramatist. The credit of translating many of Tyagaraja's compositions into Kannada goes to him.