Max Maretzek

Max Maretzek (June 28, 1821 – May 14, 1897) was a Moravian-born composer, conductor, and impresario active in the United States and Latin America.

[1] Born in Brno, now in the Czech Republic, he graduated from Vienna University and studied medicine for two years, at the same time taking a course in music and composition under Seyfried.

He then travelled through Germany, France, and England, as an orchestral conductor, and in 1844 settled in London as assistant to Michael William Balfe at Her Majesty's Theatre.

In the 1850s Maretzek began to tour with his company throughout the United States, but was primarily active in New York City and Philadelphia.

In 1860 he returned to the Academy of Music, and worked at Niblo's Garden in New York, the Crosby's Opera House in Chicago, and in Mexico and Havana.

The celebration was attended by such notables as Theodore Thomas, Anton Seidl, Frank van der Stucken, Adolf Neuendorff and Walter Damrosch.