Studied at the Gulbene elementary school, Gulbene BMS accordion class with Edgars Mūrnieks, then at the Ventspils music high school in the music theory department, where he learned the basics of composition. Became a winner in the composition competition for students of Latvian music secondary schools (1982). He studied in the composition class of LVK Paula Dambja (1982–1987) and graduated with distinction.During his studies, he worked as a concertmaster at the Faculty of Theater of LVK, and started composing music for theater performances and the conservatory's chamber ensemble Voir Dit. He improved his knowledge at the Lodz Conservatory in Poland (1987), the Utrecht Conservatory in the Netherlands (1991), the Southern Illinois University in the USA (1989), and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. (1993). He was a concert master in the Netherlands (1991–1992), at the Faculty of Theater of LVK (1985–1991), a lecturer at the composition department of JVLMA, where he taught electronic music (1992–1997 assistant, 1997–1999 lecturer). In 1992–1996, he was the deputy chairman of LKS, created a regular series of programs on Latvian Radio about the latest electronic music Elektronisknie dialogi.Since 1995, he has been the head of the musical section of the Latvian National Theater, since 1996 he has been composing and making arrangements for the Greizais ratiņš ensemble of singing actors. Received the Theater Award as the best composer in dramatic theaters (1997). In addition to theater music, V. Zilveris also regularly writes in other genres and is one of the first Latvian composers who focused on electro-acoustic and electronic music. Several of his works have been performed at music festivals abroad (1997 – the Baltic Arts Festival in Denmark; 1998 – the Manchester Modern Music Festival and the Franz Schubert Festival in Vienna).
