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{{short description|Indian violinist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Philomena Thumboochetty
| image = PhilomenaThumboochetty.png
| alt = A smiling young South Asian woman, holding a violin and wearing a sari
| caption = Philomena Thumboochetty in the 1930s
| other_names = Philomena Tambu Chetti
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1913
| birth_place = Bangalore
| death_date = 2000
| death_place =
| occupation = Violinist
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| spouse(s) =
| relatives = [[T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty]] (grandfather)
}}

'''Philomena Rukmavathy Thumboochetty''' (10 October 1913 – March 2000) was an Indian violinist. She was the first Indian musician admitted to the [[Conservatoire de Paris]].

== Early life and education ==
Philomena Thumboochetty was born in [[Bangalore]] and educated in [[Mysore]], the daughter of Sir T. Thumboo Chetty, [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] and Selvavathy (Lady Gertitude Thumboo Chetty). Her father was the private secretary to the [[Maharaja of Mysore]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kabadi Waman P.|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.523178|title=Indian Who's Who 1937-38|date=1937|pages=242 in Mysore section|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> her grandfather Sir [[T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Madhavan|first=Girija|date=2020-02-16|title=Tales from Family Lore...|url=https://starofmysore.com/tales-from-family-lore/|access-date=2021-11-26|website=Star of Mysore|language=en-US}}</ref> was the First Indian Chief Judge of the Chief Court of Mysore and the Offg. Dewan of Mysore. Her family was [[Catholic Church in India|Roman Catholic]]. She attended the [[Calcutta School of Music]], before gaining a fellowship to [[Trinity College London]]. At the age of 16, she was the youngest candidate, and the first candidate from India, admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris,<ref>{{Cite news|date=7 March 1937|title=Our Indian Violinist|page=247|work=The Indian Listener|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0XjgDwAAQBAJ&dq=Philomena+Thumboochetty&pg=PA247|access-date=25 November 2021|last1=All India Radio|first1=Bombay}}</ref> After finishing her course at the Conservatoire de Paris, she became the pupil of Romanian violinist [[George Enescu|Georges Enesco]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rizvi|first=Aliyeh|date=27 December 2015|title=Resident Rendezvoyeur: A Christmas story|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/others/resident-rendezvoyeur-a-christmas-story/articleshow/50345652.cms|access-date=2022-01-23|website=Bangalore Mirror|language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
Thumboochetty was "one of the first Indian women to achieve distinction as a violinist."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Division|first=Publications|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cSWaDQAAQBAJ&dq=Philomena+Thumboochetty&pg=PT195|title=Women of India|date=1958|publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting|isbn=978-81-230-2284-0|language=en}}</ref> She and her mother were presented to [[George V|King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] in 1934.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1935-04-17|title=Violinist from India|pages=23|work=Evening Standard|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89579128/violinist-from-india/|access-date=2021-11-26|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1935, she gave her a concert at London's [[Aeolian Hall (London)|Aeolian Hall]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=20 March 2017|title=Philomena Thumboochetty: The Violin Virtuoso|work=Madras Courier|url=https://madrascourier.com/biography/philomena-thumboochetty-the-violin-virtuoso/|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> Returning to India in 1935,<ref>{{Cite news|date=6 September 1935|title=Devotee of Music and Art|page=4|work=The Bombay Chronicle|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.granth.8078/page/6/mode/2up?q=Philomena+Thumboochetty|access-date=26 November 2021|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> she gave a concert at the [[Jaganmohan Palace]], accompanied by the Palace Orchestra,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lal|first=Vinay|date=14 March 2021|title=Parleying with the Infinite: India in Beethoven's Imagination|url=https://janataweekly.org/parleying-with-the-infinite-india-in-beethovens-imagination/|access-date=2021-11-26|website=Janata Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref> before an audience that included the Maharaja and his party. In 1937, she played with the Calcutta Symphony Orchestra. Also that year, a short biography appeared, ''The Indian Fiddler Queen: A Short Sketch of Philomena Thumboochetty''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chetti|first=Philomena TAMBU|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=utMfAAAAIAAJ|title=The Indian Fiddler Queen: A Short Sketch of Philomena Thumboochetty|date=1937|publisher=Dr. K. N. Kesari at the Lodhra Press|language=en}}</ref> In 1938, she was guest soloist at the Calcutta School of Music's Fifth Symphony Concert, heard live on [[All India Radio]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=22 January 1938|title=To Be Heard from Calcutta|page=157|work=The Indian Listener|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H9PgDwAAQBAJ&dq=Philomena+Thumboochetty&pg=PA157|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref>

After marriage and children, Thumboochetty gave concerts in Bangalore, but did not tour; "she continued to practice three hours a day almost to the end of her life," according to her son.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Chaturvedi|first=Priya|date=2019-06-11|title=Philomena Thumboochetty: Portrait of an Artiste|url=https://serenademagazine.com/features/philomena-thumboochetty-portrait-of-an-artiste/|access-date=2021-11-26|website=Serenade|language=en-GB}}</ref> She played with the Max Mueller Bhavan Orchestra in the 1960s and 1970s. She also taught violin; one of her successful students was Grammy-winning violinist and composer [[Manoj George]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=3 secrets to be a great musician|url=https://manojgeorge.com/blog-post/3-secrets-to-be-a-great-musician/|access-date=2021-11-26|website=Manoj George|language=en-US}}</ref> Thumboochetty was also a strong chess player.<ref name=":0" />

== Personal life ==
Thumboochetty married Francis Kantaraj Thumboochetty in 1937. [[Mirza Ismail]] gave a speech at their wedding.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ismail|first=Sir Mirza M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e1G8vqWp3GEC&q=Philomena+Thumboochetty|title=Speeches|date=1930|publisher=Printed at the Government Press|pages=140–142|language=en}}</ref> They had five children, including her first daughter, Chitra, who was born with a hearing impairment.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chaturvedi|first=Priya|title=The story of a female Indian violinist whose phenomenal career was cut short by fate|url=https://qz.com/india/1667086/the-indian-violinist-who-fascinated-even-yehudi-menuhin/|access-date=2021-11-26|website=Quartz|date=16 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Philomena Thumboochetty died in 2000. Her family's Thumboochetty Foundation sponsors two concerts a year in her memory.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Joseph|first=Krupa|date=2019-10-15|title='Classical music must be more accessible'|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-cityscape/classical-music-must-be-more-accessible-768592.html|access-date=2021-11-26|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp84925/philomena-thumboo-chetty Philomena Thumboochetty], three photographs by or with [[Lady Ottoline Morrell]], in the collection of the [[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thumboochetty, Philomena}}
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian violinists]]
[[Category:Indian women violinists]]
[[Category:Musicians from Bengaluru]]
[[Category:Conservatoire de Paris alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Roman Catholics]]

Philomena Thumboochetty - Revision history

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