P.S. Narayanaswamy

Puliyur Subramaniam Narayanaswamy (1934-2020) was a legendary Carnatic vocalist, revered guru, and a prominent figure in the Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer tradition. Born in Tamil Nadu, his musical journey began with training under gurus like Tiruppambaram Somasundaram Pillai and Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer. His advanced, rigorous training in the gurukulavasa system under the maestro Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer from the early 1950s was the defining period of his musical development, placing him in the direct lineage of the Umayalpuram school of Tyagaraja's disciples.

Narayanaswamy's career was marked by his powerful voice and a style that, while clearly reflecting the Semmangudi bani, was distinctly his own. He began performing publicly and on All India Radio by the age of 15 and had the honor of being accompanied by legends such as violinist Pappa Venkataramaiah and mridangist Palghat Mani Iyer. Beyond his concert performances, he had a significant tenure at All India Radio, Chennai, from 1975 to 1992, where he served as a conductor for the Vadya Vrinda (instrumental ensemble) and composed several orchestral pieces. He is also credited with setting the devotional verses of "Tiru Arutpa" to music.

As a teacher, P.S. Narayanaswamy was unparalleled, and he has left behind a vast legacy through his many disciples, who include some of the most famous performing artists today, such as Ranjani-Gayatri, Gayathri Venkataraghavan, and Abhishek Raghuram. His contributions were recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Sangeetha Kala Acharya from the Music Academy, Madras (2000), the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India (2003), and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2005). He remained a respected and beloved figure in the music community until his passing in 2020.