He was one of the earliest persons to train students into Carnatic music in United States. Sri Nookala Satyanarayana Garu spent longer periods in Pittsburgh training students into the basics of our system and also training the musically gifted students into developing raga alapana and swaraprastaram. The S.V. temple at Pittsburgh released many cassettes of his Carnatic music lessons at different levels. His recording of Nauka Charitram, the unique opera of Saint Tyagaraja with the renowned Andhra musician Srirangam Gopalaratnam is one of those rare cassettes where he sings many of the padhyams and choornikas that are integral part of this opera. He was a direct disciple of the renowned veteran musician of Andhra, and also a professor of Medicine, Dr. Sripada Pinakapani.
I came to know from Mr. Kolachina that Satyanarayana Garu was also a disciple of Sri Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu Garu. His family and many students across the US and India will truly miss a great teacher, scholar, performing musician, and musicologist.
T.E.S. Raghavan
President