Victor Harris (April 27, 1869 – February 15, 1943) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

, and

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

Biography

He was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and educated under Charles Blumm, William Courtney (singing), F. K. Schilling (composition), and

Anton Seidl Anton Seidl (7 May 185028 March 1898) was a Hungarian conductor, best known for his collaboration with Richard Wagner and conducting his operas, and for his association with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and the New York Philharmonic. ...

(conducting). He was a successful organist, and from 1889 to 1895 held appointments in Tuxedo Park, Brooklyn, and New York. He was one of the first staff members at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

where he worked as a

vocal coach A vocal coach, also known as a voice coach (though this term often applies to those working with speech and communication rather than singing), is a music teacher, usually a piano accompanist, who helps singers prepare for a performance, often al ...

for three years beginning in 1893. For one season he was conductor of the Utica Choral Union, and served as assistant conductor under Seidl at the

Brighton Beach Brighton Beach is a List of Brooklyn neighborhoods, neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, within the greater Coney Island area along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Brighton Beach ...

summer concerts (1895–96). He took up his residence in New York, and established himself as a vocal instructor and composer. He published compositions for piano, organ, and chorus, but was principally known for his songs.

Helen Tretbar Helen Dellenbaugh Tretbar (May 16, 1835 – April 3, 1902) was an American author, librettist, and translator who edited ''The Etude'' magazine in the late 1880s and was fluent in French, German, and Italian. Early life and education Tretbar was ...

translated at least one of his songs (''A Madrigal'') into German. In 1906, he founded the St. Cecilia Chorus, now known as the Cecilia Chorus of New York.

References

1869 births 1943 deaths American male composers American male conductors (music) 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians {{US-composer-19thC-stub