Frederick Converse

Full biography Frederick Converse

Frederick Shepherd Converse was an American composer of classical music who lived between 1871 and 1940. He is known for his contributions to the American classical music scene, and particularly for his successful symphonic works and operas. Converse was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and grew up in a musical family. He started playing the piano at an early age, and went on to study music at Harvard University.

After graduating, Converse continued his education at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied under several prominent composers such as George Whitefield Chadwick. Converse's early works were primarily orchestral, and he gained recognition for his first symphony, which was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1903. He went on to compose three more symphonies, along with a number of other orchestral works.

Converse also wrote several successful operas, including The Pipe of Desire, The Sacrifice, and The Daemon Lover, all of which were premiered in New York City and were well received by audiences and critics alike. Throughout his career, Converse remained active in the music world, serving as the president of the National Association of Composers and Conductors and as a faculty member at the New England Conservatory of Music.

Converse's music is often characterized by its lush romanticism and emotional intensity, as well as its use of colorful orchestration. He was influenced by a variety of composers, including Richard Wagner and Frederick Delius. Today, his music is still performed and admired by audiences and musicians around the world, and he is considered to be one of the most prominent American classical composers of his time.