Oreste Sindici

Who was Oreste Sindici?

Oreste Sindici was an Italian-born Colombian musician and composer. He was the composer of the music of the Colombian national anthem in 1887.

He was born in Ceccano and then he studied in the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia at Rome.

He arrived to Bogotá in 1865 as a singer with an opera company. He lived and worked as a musician in Colombia until his death. In 1887 he was asked to compose the music of a poem wrote by Rafael Núñez. The song was released on November 11, 1887 in the commemoration of the Independence of Cartagena de Indias. In 1920 this song officially became the Colombian national anthem.

Oreste Sindici died in Bogotá on January 12, 1904 due to severe arteriosclerosis. In 1937 the Colombian government honored his memory.