Becker, Gustav (Gustave) Louis 22.may.1861-25.feb.1959 USA Texas, Richmond - England Surrey, Epsom
pianist, writer, educated at private schools in Galveston Texas and New York, early piano studies with Emil Zaradil, 1881-1888 studied music in New York with Sebastian B Mills, Constantin von Sternberg, Horace W Nicholl, Carl Christian Muller and Robert Goldbeck, 1888-1891 studied piano with Ernst Rudorff and Moritz Moszkowski, theory and composition at the Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin, canon and fugue with van Eyken and musical form with Scharwenka, studied with Waldemar Bargiel and Rafael Joseffy, 1876-1881 piano teacher in Galveston Texas, June 1881 moved to New York City, 1891 honored professor of music by the London Society for Science, 1891-1913 head of music at the Hasbrouck Institute in Jersey City, 1892-1894 conductor of Park Hill Choral Club, 1892-1896 assistant of Rafael Joseffy at the National Conservatory, 1911 president of the New York State Music Teachers Association, 1912 taught at Columbia University, 1914-1945 director of the American Progressive Piano School New York, 1918-1920 studio at 109 East 14th Street and residing at 516 West 143rd Street New York, 1930 studio at 113 West 57th Street risiding at 565 West 139th Street New York, 1935 taught at Antioch College Yellow Springs Ohio, 1945 he copyrighted 'The complete musical alphabet', 1950 studio and residence at 1050 Amsterdam Avenue New York, his last address in New York was with his son Don at 90 La Salle Street, 1956-1959 residing with his daughter Beatrice and his first wife May at 2 College Avenue in Epsom and 22.dec.1956 and 27.may.1957 aged 96 still traveling to New York ; son of bandmaster Francis Louis Becker (Germany, Hanover 2.aug.1831-) and Maria Antonia Tekla Langhammer (Hungary apr.1840-) ; 1893 he married and 1908 divorced critic/journalist May Lamberton (New York City 26.aug.1873-27.apr.1958 England, Epsom) ; daughter Beatrice Becker Warde (New York 20.sep.1900-) ; 11.feb.1911 he married Fanny Granger Dow (Massachusetts 1872-) ; twins daughter singer Margaret Valeska Becker Appleberry (New York City 7.jan.1913-) and son violinist Vivian Don Verdi (New York City 7.jan.1913-), son violinist Quentin Richard (New York City 1915-)