Secretary of Sri Lalithakala Academy Foundation and an Art Critic, B.S.S. Rao died

Secretary of Sri Lalithakala Academy Foundation and an art critic, B.S.S. Rao died on 4 July 2011 in Saraswathipuram. He was a patron of classical arts and music and a regular contributor to various newspapers. Rao also contributed articles on music reviews to SOM.

He was born on 6 October 1929 and belonged to Bellur in Mandya District in Karnataka. Rao completed diploma in Commerce from the oldest institution in Mysore — Champion Metropolitan College of Commerce in 1947 (now Sahakara Bhavana) and joined as a probationer in former Mysore State Railway.

He took interest in the promotion of classical arts, particularly Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. Through his academy, of Sri Lalithakala Academy he took the initiative to national-level music and dance festivals in Mysore, Chennai and Thanjavur. M.S. Subbulakshmi Memorial Music Festival and national-level dance festival, Natyanjali, were among the notable festivals hosted by his academy.

He was nominated as a member of the South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur, by the Karnataka government in 2010 in recognition of his yeoman services to performing arts. He was also a member of the South Central Cultural Zone, Nagpur.