Julius Lenzberg

Full biography Julius Lenzberg

Julius Lenzberg (1878-1956) was a German-American composer and bandleader who was active during the ragtime era. He is well known for his ragtime compositions such as "Haunting Rag", "Hungarian Rag", and "Operatic Rag". Lenzberg's music helped fuel a trend in which rag composers such as George L. Cobb and Felix Arndt, as well as various others , experimented with new sounds.

Lenzberg studied music at a young age and eventually became a pupil of James H. Rogers, a noted composer and conductor. After moving to the United States in the early 1900s, Lenzberg became a popular figure in the ragtime scene, and his music was published by major publishers such as John Stark & Son and Jerome H. Remick & Co.

In addition to composing, Lenzberg also led orchestras and played percussion in various bands. He was a percussionist for a time with the Riverside Band, and later led his own orchestra that performed in theaters and hotels across the United States.

Although Lenzberg's music was popular during his lifetime, it has since fallen somewhat into obscurity. Nevertheless, his contributions to the ragtime genre and his innovative compositions have helped to shape the course of American popular music.