The story of composition at Peabody perhaps most aptly begins with Asger Hamerik, the second director of the Conservatory, who led it from 1871 to 1898. The Danish composer studied composition with Hans von Bülow in Berlin and then Hector Berlioz in Paris before assuming his role at Peabody. Under his tenure, the Conservatory greatly expanded its offerings for classes in “harmony” (theory taught through composition), and it became a cultural hub for the citizens of Baltimore.

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