Jerusalem, February 13 The Indian mission in Israel paid tributes to the legendary Jewish music composer Walter Kaufmann on Friday, who created the signature tune of All India Radio (AIR) and served as a director in Mumbai.
February 13 is celebrated as World Radio Day, proclaimed in 2011 by UNESCO to mark the day that the United Nations Radio was established in 1946.
"On #WorldRadioDay2026, we proudly remember 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 symbolizes 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 ethnomusicologist, composer, and conductor, escaped Europe for Bombay (now Mumbai) during the Holocaust in 1934, and he researched Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan music before moving to Canada and the USA, where he had 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 due to his Jewish ancestry. His interest in Indian music led him to Mumbai, where he soon joined his wife, Gerta.
Kaufmann worked as a piano teacher in Mumbai and also founded the Bombay Chamber Music Society, which performed every Thursday.
The legendary composer and conductor later became Director of European broadcasting at All India Radio, and he also composed the AIR theme tune, which is still used by the network.
