Thomas, Theodore

Theodore (1835-1905), a distinguished German-American orchestral leader. He was a native of Hanover. He came to New York in 1845. He accompanied Jenny Lind on her first American tour. In 1878 the music-loving Germans of Cincinnati made him director of the College of Music. He was conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Society for several years. In 1891 he established the famous Thomas Orchestra of Chicago. A recital hall was built for him in 1904 at a cost of three quarters of a million dollars, but Conductor Thomas did not live long to enjoy his triumph. The name of Theodore Thomas ranks high in the history of orchestral music.