Charles Hallé

Sir Charles Hallé (born Karl Halle; 11 April 1819 – 25 October 1895) was a Prussian and British pianist and conductor.

[3] He then studied under Christian Heinrich Rinck at Darmstadt, Germany in 1835, and as early as 1836 went to Paris, where for twelve years he often associated with Luigi Cherubini, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt and other musicians, and enjoyed the friendship of such great literary figures as Alfred de Musset and George Sand.

Hallé's piano recitals, given at first from 1850 in his own house, and from 1861 in St James's Hall, Piccadilly, were an important feature of London musical life, and it was due in great measure to them that a knowledge of Beethoven's pianoforte sonatas became general in English society.

"[5] At the Musical Union founded by John Ella, and at the Popular Concerts from their beginning, Hallé was a frequent performer.

Hallé decided to continue working with the orchestra as a formal organisation, and it gave its first concert under those auspices on 30 January 1858.

In 1891, he also helped to found the Royal Manchester College of Music, serving as head and chief professor of pianoforte.

He was twice married: first, on 11 November 1841, to Desirée Smith de Rilieu, who died in 1866; and, secondly, on 26 July 1888, to Madame Wilma Neruda, the distinguished violinist.