Venth, Carl

Carl Venth was born in Cologne, Germany on February 16, 1860, the son of Carl and Frederica Venth. He was sixteen when he entered the Cologne Conservatory where he studied violin and composition. After touring the United States he became concert master of Rudolph Bial's concerts in New York and later at the Metropolitan Opera in 1884. In 1888 he established the Venth Violin School in Brooklyn. For three years he was director of the violin department of Kidd-Key College at Sherman, Texas. His first work in Fort Worth was as conductor of the Fort Worth Harmony Club. He later became conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Choral Club. In 1914, he was director of the Conservatory of Fine Arts at Texas Woman's College, now Texas Wesleyan, and later was dean of the music school. During World War One he served as music director at Camp Bowie and Camp Travis. He was the bandmaster of the Thirty-sixth Division. He became the head of the music department at the University of San Antonio. He died on January 29, 1938.

German composer, violinist, conductor, music educator, and scholar Carl Venth (1860-1938) was a leading classical music figure in Texas in the first half of the twentieth century. After studying with Ferdinand Hiller at the Cologne Conservatory and Henry Wieniawski in Brussels, Venth became the concertmaster of the Flemish Opera House at age 18 and then became the concertmaster of the Opera Comique in Paris in 1879. In 1880 he immigrated to New York City, where he led and organized several orchestras and musical ensembles, such as the Venth College of Music and the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra.

In 1908, Venth moved to Texas to work as violin director at the Kidd-Key College in Sherman. He also served as dean of the School of Fine Arts at Texas Woman’s College (later Texas Wesleyan University) in Fort Worth from 1914 through 1931 and as head of the music department of Westmoorland College (now part of Trinity University) in San Antonio from 1931 through 1938. Furthermore, Venth directed the Frohsinn Chorus, conducted the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and organized and served as the first conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. He served as president of the State Music Teachers’ Association, receiving an honorary life membership. He also accepted honorary degrees from the Chicago Musical College and New York College.

On July 13, 1899, Venth married Norwegian-American Cathinka Firth Myhr (1867-1958).

Sources:

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Venth, Carl (1860-1938), http://www.tshaonline.org /handbook/online/articles/VV/fve5.html (accessed May 14, 2010).

German composer, violinist, conductor, music educator, and scholar Carl Venth (1860-1938) was a leading classical music figure in Texas in the first half of the twentieth century.

After studying with Ferdinand Hiller at the Cologne Conservatory and Henry Wieniawski in Brussels, Venth became the concertmaster of the Flemish Opera House at age 18 and then became the concertmaster of the Opera Comique in Paris in 1879. In 1880, he immigrated to New York City, where he led and organized several orchestras and musical ensembles, such as the Venth College of Music and the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra.

In 1908, Venth moved to Texas to work as violin director at the Kidd-Key College in Sherman.

He also served as dean of the School of Fine Arts at Texas Woman's College (later Texas Wesleyan University) in Fort Worth from 1914 through 1931 and as head of the music department of Westmoorland College (now part of Trinity University) in San Antonio from 1931 through 1938. Furthermore, Venth directed the Frohsinn Chorus, conducted the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and organized and served as the first conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. He served as president of the State Music Teachers' Association, receiving an honorary life membership. He also accepted honorary degrees from the Chicago Musical College and New York College.

On July 13, 1899, Venth married Norwegian-American Cathinka Firth Myhr (1867-1958).