Victor August Herbert was an American composer, cellist, and conductor of English and Irish ancestry. Born on the island of Guernsey, he was raised in Europe, where he studied the cello at the Stuttgart Conservatory and performed with orchestras including that of Eduard Strauss in Vienna before moving to the United States in 1886 with his wife, soprano Therese Förster, when both joined the Metropolitan Opera. Herbert composed a prolific body of work, including operas, a cantata, and operettas. He later became a founder of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1914. He remained active as a composer, conductor, and cellist until his death on May 26, 1924, in New York.
Read All
Read Less