Walter F. Craig
| Walter F Craig | |
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Craig in 1909
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| Born |
December 20, 1854 Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | February 8, 1933 (aged 78) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Spouse(s) | Bertie Toney-Craig |
Walter F. Craig (December 20, 1854 – February 8, 1933) was a violin soloist and orchestra director in New York City. His career started in 1870 and continued until the 1930s. He was known for his performance and interpretation of classical music, but he also was popular performing at dances.
Walter F. Craig was born in Princeton, New Jersey on December 20, 1854 to Charles A. and Sarah E. Craig. He moved to New York City in 1861 where he went to Grammar School No. 4 under Mrs. Sarah J. Smith Thompson Garnet, graduating in 1869. He began to study violin in 1868 and held his first concert at Cooper Union in 1870. His musical training was under Hermon Troste, Edward Mollenhauer, and Carl Christian Muller.
His musical career took off and he organized what was known as "Craig's Orchestra" in 1872. His orchestra began to tour widely and he also became internationally famous as a violin soloist. As a musician, he became associated with a number of prominent vocalists including women: Madame Selika, Nelly Brown Mitchell, Adelaide G. Smith, Flora Batson,Emma Azalia Hackley and Sissieretta Jones and men: L. L. Brown, William I. Powell, Thomas Chestnut, and Harry Burleigh. His compositions were also well known. He became concert master at the Mendellsohn School of Music and he was the first black conductor to be a member of the Musical Mutual Protective Union of New York City. Craig's orchestra was over half white until abou 1911, and the union was criticized for not supporting Craig as much as he supported it and white musicians because Craig was black. By 1887, his orchestra included 75 musicians. In 1893 he was elected a member of the Antonín Dvořák-led National Conservatory of Music of America. Later in his career, Craig became well known for introducing African American musicians to the stage. For example, in January 1915 he featured Roland Hayes in Hayes' premier New York shows.
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