Vere da Silva & The Origin Of Bombay City Orchestra
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Despite making serious contributions, some people remain shrouded in obscurity. Vere da Silva was one such legend.
You won’t find much information about him online.
Vere was born in Thana, Bombay, to Sophia and Dr. Austin da Silva - the founder of Silverene, now known as the Holy Family Hospital.
He showed musical talent early, performing on Bombay radio at just eight years old, back when the city’s radio broadcasting (emerging around 1923) was still in its early stages.
Sadly, the name of his violin instructor during his formative years has been lost to memory.
Vere’s radio recitals in the 1940s were featured multiple times in the Indian Listener magazine of All India Radio.
Beyond music, Vere won an award for English literature in college and studied law.
He was a pupil of Spirinello, an Italian in Bombay during World War II.
Together, they formed the Dorian String Quartet, the first in Bombay. Vere also started the Bombay City Orchestra in the mid-1950s.
Vere’s legal career took him to England, but he didn’t stop making music. He studied conducting with Kurt Wöss in Vienna and even conducted the famous Boyd Neel Orchestra at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
During his regular journeys to Bombay, Vere persisted in directing, playing, and guiding the Dorian string quartet.
The Time and Talents Club archives document several of his solo and chamber performances.
Sailing was another passion for Vere. He became the Commodore of the Bombay Sailing Association and enjoyed spontaneous trips to Goa.
The 1957 Marian Anderson concert might be the sole existing film record of Vere da Silva.
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You won’t find much information about him online.
Vere was born in Thana, Bombay, to Sophia and Dr. Austin da Silva - the founder of Silverene, now known as the Holy Family Hospital.
He showed musical talent early, performing on Bombay radio at just eight years old, back when the city’s radio broadcasting (emerging around 1923) was still in its early stages.
Sadly, the name of his violin instructor during his formative years has been lost to memory.
Vere’s radio recitals in the 1940s were featured multiple times in the Indian Listener magazine of All India Radio.
Beyond music, Vere won an award for English literature in college and studied law.
He was a pupil of Spirinello, an Italian in Bombay during World War II.
Together, they formed the Dorian String Quartet, the first in Bombay. Vere also started the Bombay City Orchestra in the mid-1950s.
Vere’s legal career took him to England, but he didn’t stop making music. He studied conducting with Kurt Wöss in Vienna and even conducted the famous Boyd Neel Orchestra at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
During his regular journeys to Bombay, Vere persisted in directing, playing, and guiding the Dorian string quartet.
The Time and Talents Club archives document several of his solo and chamber performances.
Sailing was another passion for Vere. He became the Commodore of the Bombay Sailing Association and enjoyed spontaneous trips to Goa.
The 1957 Marian Anderson concert might be the sole existing film record of Vere da Silva.
The State of Jazz in India
How We Almost Missed Out On Nusrat Sahab's Music
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