Hart, Fritz (Bennicke)

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Hart, Fritz (Bennicke)

Hart, Fritz (Bennicke), English conductor and composer; b. Brockley, Kent, Feb. 11, 1874; d. Honolulu, July 9, 1949. He studied at the Royal Coll. of Music in London (1893–96). In 1908 he went to Australia and in 1915 became director of the Melbourne Cons. In 1927 he was appointed joint artistic director of the Melbourne Sym. Orch. He conducted the Honolulu Sym. Orch. (1932 until his death). He settled in Honolulu in 1936 when appointed prof, of music at the Univ. of Hawaii; retired in 1942. He wrote operas, operettas, orch. works, chamber music, choruses, and over 500 songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire