Biographical Sketch of Otto Behr, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, MO

>From "History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881, St. Joseph
Steam Printing Company, Printers, Binders, Etc., St. Joseph, Missouri.
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Otto Behr, professor of music.  Missouri is largely indebted to Europe
for its rapid growth and the sterling qualities and accomplishments of
many of its best citizens.  The subject of this brief sketch, who for
twenty-four years has been a resident of Buchanan County, is deserving
a special mention.  He was born in Germany, on June 19, 1828, and was
raised there.  He early developed a remarkable talent for music and 
decided to make it the chosen occupation of his life, and commenced 
his first studies at his birthplace.  Then availed himself of the ad-
vantages offered by the conservatory of Leipzig, and the more pro-
ficient he became the more desirous he was to excel, and went to 
Vienna, and thence to Milan, Italy.  In 1853, he emigrated to the
United States, and settled in Philadelphia, Penn., where he remained
about three years, occupying a prominent place among the musical pro-
fession.  In 1857, overtures were made for him to settle in St. 
Joseph, Missouri.  Since his residence here no one has done more to
raise the standard of musical education and to cultivate a refined
and elevated taste in this direction.  For nine years he conducted a
musical business in St. Joseph, for eleven years was organist of the
church of St. Joseph, now the Cathedral, for six years organist of 
the Episcopal Church, and for eighteen years organist of the Synagogue.
To his most thorough qualifications as a musician he has attained an
enviable record as a composer.  As an instructor of vocal and instru-
mental music he has a wide reputation in the West, which is well 
attested by the success of some of his pupils.  He organized the
Philharmonic Society of St. Joseph, a string quartette of his pupils,
and the Mendelssohn Musical Association of St. Joseph.

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