Naresh Sohal was one of the most remarkable composers of Western classical music of his generation. In the course of his career, he produced a body of work that included major pieces for orchestra, innovative chamber works, a ballet score, two music theatre pieces, the score for a French feature film, ghazals and songs for the Bollywood director Dev Anand.
He received eight commissions from the BBC and had more than forty radio broadcasts of his work. In 1987, he was awarded a Padma Shri (Order of the Lotus) by the Government of India for his services to Western music.
Naresh grew up in Jalandhar. He studied science at DAV College from 1955 until 1961 but showed particular prowess in music and cricket. He taught himself to play the harmonica and often provided entertainment for his peers. He and his friend Inder (guitar) shared a platform with Jagjit Singh at a college prize-giving in 1961 attended by the President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and at the All-India Youth conference that same year.
