Cervetto was born in London in 1748; his father was the cellist
Giacobbe Cervetto (whose original family name was Basevi), from whom he learned to play the instrument. He soon excelled on the cello, and his first public concert took place on 23 April 1760 at the
Little Theatre, Haymarket, with other musicians of similar age (including
Gertrud Elisabeth Mara, at this time playing violin, later a soprano). From 1763 he played in many of the capital cities of Europe. In 1771 he joined
the Queen's private orchestra, and in 1780 he became a member of
Lord Abingdon's private orchestra. He was a soloist at the "
Professional Concerts" in the
Hanover Square Rooms, from their establishment in 1783 until 1794. He was a member of the
Royal Society of Musicians for 72 years. In the early part of his career he was in friendly rivalry with the cellist
John Crosdill. In 1783 his father died, leaving him £20,000, and he became less active in his profession. His last known concert took place on 2 March 1795 at
Frederick, Duke of York's residence
York House, Picadilly, at which
George III was present. ==References==