Philip A. Herfort
Philip Adolph Herfort | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 28, 1851 |
| Died | March 24, 1921 (aged 69) |
| Nationality | Germany |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Music, Berlin |
| Spouse | Antonie Lupprian (1877-1917) |
Philip Adolph Herfort (November 28, 1851 – March 24, 1921) was a German violinist and orchestra leader.
He was born in Berlin, Prussia (now Germany) to Jewish parents, Adolph (Aron) Herfort (1818–1900) and Clara Herfort (1830–1907) née Maass. Philip Herfort married Antonie Theodore Johanne Lupprian on December 15, 1877 in New York City and fathered four children: Sophie (1879–1966), Paul (1880–1967), Gunther (1888–1986), and Walter (1886–1887).
Herfort studied music under Joseph Joachim at the Royal Academy of Music (Königlich Akademischen Hochschule für ausübende Tonkunst) in Berlin. He first came to the United States through the port of New York City on August 5, 1876 on the SS Donau. That same year, 1876, he appeared with Theodore Thomas at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Herfort was first violin and viola of the New York Philharmonic Society (now the New York Philharmonic) and the New York Symphony Orchestra. For many years, he was the orchestra leader of the Metropolitan Opera. He was also the director of the Koster and Bial's Music Hall and the Long Beach Hotel, at its beginning and at the height of its popularity. He was the former musical director for E. H. Sothern and Sarah Bernhardt Productions, and was a member of the Venth-Kronold String Quartet, which was founded and led by the musician Carl Venth. He was also a member of the Aschenbrodel Verein, a musical society.
Philip Herfort died on March 24, 1921 in Brooklyn, New York and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.
Sources
- New York Times (1857-Current file); Mar 26, 1921; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851–2005) pg. 12.
- Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Year: 1876; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 405; Line: 36; List Number: 736.