Ferdinand Praeger was born in Leipzig on January 22, 1815, to a Dutch father and an English mother. As a child, he studied cello, piano, and violin. His father, Heinrich Aloys Praeger (1783-1854) worked as a musician, composer, and conductor. From 1815-1821, he conducted a small traveling opera company called the Joseph Seconda German Opera Company. In 1831, at the age of 16, Praeger became a music teacher at The Hague and continued to study piano, violin, and composition. He moved to London in 1834, working as a teacher and traveling to give piano recitals, many of which included his own work...