Philip A. Herfort

Philip Adolph Herfort (November 28, 1851 – March 24, 1921) was a German violinist and orchestra leader.

Philip Adolph Herfort
Born(1851-11-28)November 28, 1851
DiedMarch 24, 1921(1921-03-24) (aged 69)
NationalityGermany
Alma materRoyal Academy of Music, Berlin
Spouse(s)Antonie Lupprian (1877-1917)

He was born in Berlin, Prussia (now Germany) to Jewish parents, Adolph (Aron) Herfort (1818–1900) and Clara Herfort née Maass (1830–1907). Philip Herfort married Antonie Theodore Johanne Lupprian on December 15, 1877, in New York City and together they had four children: Sophie (1879–1966), Paul (1880–1967), Walter (1886–1887), and Gunther (1888–1986).

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.[1] 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.[2]

At the age of 69, Philip Herfort died on March 24, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York, and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.

References

  1. 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.
  2. Philip A. Herfort Obituary, The New York Times (New York, New York), 26 March 1921, p. 12, col. 5; digital image, “ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index,” ProQuest (https://www.proquest.com/).
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