The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Furst, William

FURST, William, American composer and conductor: b. Baltimore, Md., 25 March 1852. He studied music in his native town and was a church organist at the age of 14. His comic opera ‘Electric Light’ was produced and conducted by him in 1878 and for the five seasons following he received engagements as conductor of opera. He became musical director of the Tivoli Theatre, San Francisco, in 1884. His opera ‘She’ ran for nine weeks there, and was produced for two seasons in New York. His chief productions are ‘Theodora’ (1888); ‘The Isle of Champagne’ (1891); ‘Honeymooners’ (1893); ‘Princess Nicotine’ (1893); ‘The Little Trooper’ (1894); ‘Ghismonda’ (1894); ‘The Merry World’ (1895).