Franz Lehár

Born in Komarom, in what was then the Kingdom of Hungar, Franz Lehár was a musician from an early age. He first studied the violin at the Prague Conservatory. There he met composer Antonin Dvorak, who encouraged him to pursue composition instead.

Lehár found his niche in German operetta, producing around 40 light operas, operettas, and singspiels. His most well-loved piece The Merry Widow is regularly performed around the world. Many of his other works are frequently on the stages in Germany and Europe.

Even under the Nazi occupation, Lehár managed to continue his work. He was even awarded the Goethe-Medaille für Kunst und Wissenschaft (Goethe medal for art and the pursuit of knowledge) by Adolf Hitler in 1940.