Silas, Edward

1827-

 

Renowned Dutch organist, pianist and composer; born at Amsterdam, Holland, and at present professor of harmony at the Guildhall School of Music and the London Academy of Music. He studied harmony with Grua at Mannheim, piano with Louis Lacombe, at Frankfort, from 1839, and with Kalkbrenner in Paris, in 1842; later was a pupil of Benoist in organ, and of Halevy in fugue and opera, at the Paris Conservatory. In 1849 he won the first prize for organplaying in competition with Saint-Saens and Cohen. The following year he moved to England, settling in London as organist, despite the adverse criticism he met with. In 1866 he was awarded the first prize by the General Assembly of Catholics in Belgium for a mass, winning it in competition with seventy-six others. He has composed an oratorio, Joash; a Kyrie Eleison for four voices with orchestra; symphonies; an elegy; sonata; duets; organ-pieces and pianomusic, and considerable music for the church.