Baluswami Dikshitar was the son of Ramaswami Dikshitar, the scholar-composer, and a brother of Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the Carnatic Musical Trinity. Baluswami Dikshitar was tutor to the Ettayapuram Rajah too and the ward built a house for his guru even as Swati Tirunal did for Vadivelu of the Tanjore Quartette. Saranga, Durbar, Kanada and Rudrapriya were the favourite ragas of this composer-musician. Baluswami Dikshitar was a multi-faceted personlaity who could play on the family asset of vina besides Swarabat, Sitar and Mridangam. He was at Manali near Madras with his father and Chinnaswami Dikshitar when Muthu Venkata Vaidyanatha visited. At the instance of their father, the brothers sang 'Nannu Parikshinchunela' to the satisfaction of the visitor to qualify for his father receiving two great works called 'Chaturdandi Prakasia' and 'Raghalakshanam'. Muthukrishna Mudaliar and Venkatakrishna Mudaliar of Manali extended much patronage and it was at their instance, an European violinist taught Baluswami Dikshitar to play on violin (1806-1814) and he adapted his play to suit the genius of Carnatic music. His brother Muthuswami Dikshitar composed 'nottuswarams' in Sankarabharanam raga to practise with. Thus Baluswami Dikshitar is credited to be the pioneer to introduce violin in the South and Tanjore Vadivelu popularised it. This is, however, disputed on the basis of a painting of 1794 A.D. on the walls of Darya Daulat, Srirangapattinam and the wooden panel on the car of Lord Ranganatha. Sangita Kalanidhi T.Chowdiah has claimed that violin is only the 'dhanur veena' of old and that a representation of the violin is found on the walls of Sri Agasteeswara temple at Trimakuta on the Cauvery. The contention is that violin was no stranger to India. Baluswami Dikshitar started his career on his return to Tiruvarur from Manali giving concerts with Chinnaswami Dikshitar. The brothers are stated to be the first among duos of prominence known to history. He had been honoured by Samasthanams and from 1825 was Aasthana Vidwan at Ettayapuram, at which place, Muthuswami Dikshitar during his visit breathed his last. Baluswami Dikshitar has composed varnams in Natta- Ata and Rudrapriya, Vasanta and Durbar. He had set to music compositions of his patron, Ettayapuram Rajah. Once Sonti Venkatasubbiah claimed 'Takka' raga as a family credit and asked Baluswami Dikshitar at Manali to sing it. It is said that Dikshitar sang 'Aramajja Apavada' / 'Nanu Parikshinchu Nela' in that raga repudiating the claim of Venkatasubbiah. In fact, Muthuswami Dikshitar had composed 'Sundaramurtim asrayami' in the same raga in praise of Sundaramurti Nayanar .