Background
Cleber was born in Maastricht the son of Gerardus Josephus Cleber, an organist and choir conductor, and Anna Maria Bastian. His family was Catholic. He studied music with his father (piano). Married on February 8, 1939 with Elisa Magdelijns (1917–2007). From this marriage was born a daughter (Yvonne Charlotte). After divorcing on September 25, 1951, he married on December 12, 1951 (in Jakarta) with Johanna Dirkje de Bruijn (b. 1923), a cabaretière. From this marriage was born a daughter (Karian).
After graduating from junior high school, he entered the music school (muzieklyceum), and continued to study violin and piano. He also studied jazz, and admired Duke Elington, and advised to study the saxophone and clarinet, but he preferred to study the trombone (the mouthpiece fit his lips).
He started to play with local orchestra since he was 15 years old as violist. He also play with Paul Godwin as trombonist. During the World War II, he played in the Zurich Orchestra. After World War II ended, he returned to the Netherlands. Then he joint the Metropole Orchestra under direction of Dolf van der Linden as trombonist, as well as arranger. After that he played as trombonist in the Concertgebouw-Orkest in Amsterdam. He also studied directie, harmony and counterpoint from Dutch composer Kees van Baaren in Amstredam.
He became a musician in the style of Mantovani. He traveled to Indonesia in June 1948 and founded the "Cosmopolitan Orchestra" for Radio Batavia, composed of 40 musicians of many different nationalities. At that time Cleber arranged many Indonesian songs for orchestra, such as "Di Bawah Sinar Bulan Purnama" and "Rangkaian Melati."
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