On World Radio Day Indian mission's tribute to Jewish composer of famous AIR theme tune

Jerusalem, Feb 13 (PTI) The Indian mission in Israel on Friday paid warm tributes to the legendary Jewish music composer Walter Kaufmann, who created the signature tune of All India Radio (AIR) and had served as a director in Mumbai.
     February 13 is celebrated as World Radio Day, proclaimed in 2011 by UNESCO to mark the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946.
     “On #WorldRadioDay2026, we proudly recall the legacy of Walter Kaufmann, the Jewish composer who created the signature tune of All India Radio and served as its Director in Mumbai (Bombay) in 1937,” the Indian mission posted on X.
     “Cherished by generations of Indians, his timeless melody symbolises a historic cultural bridge between India and the Jewish world — and the enduring power of radio to unite hearts across nations,” it added.
     Kaufmann, an ethno-musicologist, composer and conductor, escaped Europe for Bombay (now Mumbai) during Holocaust in 1934 and researched Indian, Chinese and Tibetan music, before moving to Canada and the USA, where he enjoyed a career as a conductor and teacher.
     He studied composition in Berlin with Franz Schrekar before working as an assistant to the conductor Bronu Walter at the Charlottenburg Opera in Berlin and for Radio Prague.
     He decided to escape Europe because of his Jewish ancestry. His interest in Indian music drew him to Mumbai, where he was soon joined by his wife Gerta.
     Kaufmann worked as a piano teacher in Mumbai and also founded the Bombay Chamber Music Society, performing every Thursday.
     The legendary composer and conductor later became Director of European broadcasting at All India Radio and also composed the AIR theme tune, which is still used by the network.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)