Maurice Strakosch (probably 15 January 1825 – 9 October 1887) was an American musician and impresario of Czech origin.Maurice Strakosch: ''North American Theatre Online''
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Biography

Strakosch was born in Gross-Seelowitz (today Židlochovice),

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

. He made his debut as a pianist at the age of 11 in

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

performing a piano concerto by Hummel. Because his parents were not satisfied with his career choice, he ran away to Vienna at the age of twelve, where he studied under Simon Sechter. He also studied singing under

Giuditta Pasta Giuditta Angiola Maria Costanza Pasta (; 26 October 1797 – 1 April 1865) was an Italian opera singer. A soprano, she has been compared to the 20th-century soprano Maria Callas. Career Early career Pasta was born Giuditta Angiola Maria Costanz ...

for some time. In 1843, he met tenor Salvatore Patti (1800–1869) at a music festival in

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. Five years later, he was tour manager of Patti group in New York. These performances started his successful career as a manager in the

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and his long-standing friendship with the Patti family. In 1852, Strakosch married Patti's daughter Amalia Patti. He was also the first manager of the youngest and most successful daughter, Adelina Patti, from her debut in 1859 until her marriage in 1868. It is believed that Strakosch was her most important teacher. Besides the Pattis, he and his brother Max (born in Brunn, Moravia, 27 September 1835; died in New York City, 17 March 1892) worked as impresario with Teresa Parodi, Christine Nilsson, Marie Heilbronn, Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa, Carlotta Patti, Karl Formes, Pasquale Brignoli, Italo Campanini, Pauline Lucca, Thérèse Tietjens, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Clara Louise Kellogg, Marie Roze and Marietta Alboni, as well as Nellie Melba. Strakosch occasionally performed as a pianist, e.g. he played duet with Ole Bull during his tour in America. In 1857, his opera ''Giovanna of Naples'' (Regina Giovanna di Napoli) was performed in New York. His compositions for the piano were at one time very popular, and among them the music of one of Bayard Taylor's songs. In 1886, he published a memoir book ''Souvenirs d'un impresario'' (Souvenirs of an Impresario). Strakosch died in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1887.

Notes

References

* Russian Wikipedia article * This source gives Butschowitz as his place of birth. The 1891 edition lists two additional artists under the management of the brothers.

External links

*
Obituary from The New York Times
1825 births 1887 deaths 19th-century American musicians American classical musicians Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery American impresarios People from Židlochovice Emigrants from the Austrian Empire to the United States {{US-classical-musician-stub