Nahan Franko
Encyclopedia
Nahan Franko was an American
violin
ist, conductor and concert
promoter
. His brother was violinist and conductor Sam Franko
.
Franko was born in New Orleans, and studied the violin
in Europe
with Joseph Joachim
and August Wilhelmj
. He became an orchestra
l violinist, playing with leading American and European orchestras; he later became the first American-born conductor to work at the Metropolitan Opera
in New York City
.
Nahan Franko made his debut in 1869 at Steinway Hall, and subsequently toured with Adelina Patti
as a child prodigy. After studying with Joachim and Wilhelmj in Berlin, he returned home and played with various orchestras, becoming concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in 1883, a position he retained until 1907. On November 30, 1904, he made his debut as conductor with the company, leading Le Nozze di Figaro—the first native-born American to conduct with the company. Other works Franko conducted were Roméo, Faust, Zigeunerbaron, Die Fledermaus, Hansel und Gretel, Il Trovatore
, Don Giovanni, and two ballets, Coppélia and Bayer's Puppenfee, as well as numerous Sunday-evening concerts. He conducted 68 performances at the Met, and 33 performances with the company elsewhere. He conducted approximately 67 opera performances andn 9 dance works. The remaining were Metropolitan concerts. As third conductor and concertmaster in 1904-05, he was paid $4045. Beginning in 1908, he led open-air concerts in Central Park, and it was largely through his efforts to make good music popular by performing these al fresco concerts did NYC and the Metropolitan Opera begin the habit of performing free outdoor performances. Franko celebrated his golden jubilee with a concert at the Hippodrome. Nahan continued public and private performances with his orchestra for nearly two decades.
Thrice married, Franko's first wife was Edith Edwards whom he wed and divorced at a young age. On 7.3.1895 he married Cornelia Anna Ruppert (b. 6.21.1865) and became her widower on 12.3.1896. Cornelia Anna Ruppert-Franko was the sister of Hon. Col. Jacob Ruppert, Jr. (8.5.1867-1.13.1939), famous beer baron and Congressman from New York City and owner of the New York Yankees. Franko's widow was German actress Anna Braga whom he married in 1899.
At 68, Nahan Franko died of a blood clot at his Amityville, New York home where he was recuperating from an earlier stroke. His pallbearers included Theodore Steinway and John Philip Sousa.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, conductor and concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
promoter
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
. His brother was violinist and conductor Sam Franko
Sam Franko
Sam Franko was an American violinist and conductor. He was the brother of violinist, conductor and concert promoter Nahan Franko....
.
Franko was born in New Orleans, and studied the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century.-Origins:...
and August Wilhelmj
August Wilhelmj
August Wilhelmj was a German violinist and teacher.Wilhelmj was a child prodigy. When Henriette Sontag heard him in 1852, when he was seven, she said "You will be the German Paganini"...
. He became an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l violinist, playing with leading American and European orchestras; he later became the first American-born conductor to work at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Nahan Franko made his debut in 1869 at Steinway Hall, and subsequently toured with Adelina Patti
Adelina Patti
Adelina Patti was a highly acclaimed 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851 and gave her last performance before an audience in 1914...
as a child prodigy. After studying with Joachim and Wilhelmj in Berlin, he returned home and played with various orchestras, becoming concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in 1883, a position he retained until 1907. On November 30, 1904, he made his debut as conductor with the company, leading Le Nozze di Figaro—the first native-born American to conduct with the company. Other works Franko conducted were Roméo, Faust, Zigeunerbaron, Die Fledermaus, Hansel und Gretel, Il Trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
, Don Giovanni, and two ballets, Coppélia and Bayer's Puppenfee, as well as numerous Sunday-evening concerts. He conducted 68 performances at the Met, and 33 performances with the company elsewhere. He conducted approximately 67 opera performances andn 9 dance works. The remaining were Metropolitan concerts. As third conductor and concertmaster in 1904-05, he was paid $4045. Beginning in 1908, he led open-air concerts in Central Park, and it was largely through his efforts to make good music popular by performing these al fresco concerts did NYC and the Metropolitan Opera begin the habit of performing free outdoor performances. Franko celebrated his golden jubilee with a concert at the Hippodrome. Nahan continued public and private performances with his orchestra for nearly two decades.
Thrice married, Franko's first wife was Edith Edwards whom he wed and divorced at a young age. On 7.3.1895 he married Cornelia Anna Ruppert (b. 6.21.1865) and became her widower on 12.3.1896. Cornelia Anna Ruppert-Franko was the sister of Hon. Col. Jacob Ruppert, Jr. (8.5.1867-1.13.1939), famous beer baron and Congressman from New York City and owner of the New York Yankees. Franko's widow was German actress Anna Braga whom he married in 1899.
At 68, Nahan Franko died of a blood clot at his Amityville, New York home where he was recuperating from an earlier stroke. His pallbearers included Theodore Steinway and John Philip Sousa.