Theodore Thomas (musician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Theodore Thomas (October 11, 1835–January 4, 1905) was a German-American musician and conductor. He is considered the first renowned American orchestral conductor.
He was born in Hanover, Germany, to a violinist father, who contributed to his musical education. By age 6 he was playing the violin in concerts. In 1845 his family emigrated to the United States, but they suffered from financial hardships.
In 1854 he joined New York Philharmonic, and began tours with famous musicians as a violinist.
He was the first well known American conductor. He introduced the music of Beethoven, Mozart and Wagner to American audiences.
By 1861 he organized his own orchestra that played at Irving Hall. In the 1880s he became the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
He died in Chicago, Illinois.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by: Leopold Damrosch |
Musical Directors, New York Philharmonic 1877–1891 |
Succeeded by: Anton Seidl |
| Preceded by: none |
Musical Directors, Chicago Symphony Orchestra 1891–1905 |
Succeeded by: Frederick Stock |
 |
This article on a German musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
