Samuel Sherman

Samuel Sherman (1871 – 1948) was the court composer and conductor for Emperor Franz Josef I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1903 and 1909. Early life Sherman was born in Stepenitz, a small fishing village near Kiev, Ukraine. His father, Otto Sherman, was a clarinet player while Samuel and his younger brothers all studied the violin. In order to avoid conscription into Russian Czar Nicholas II's army, in 1903, aged 32, Sherman fled Stepinetz, leaving his wife Lena and four young children behind. He eventually found his way to Prague (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), where his fortunes were to improve. Prague Within a year of his arrival, Samuel was appointed concertmaster, first violinist and intermittent court composer in the Royal Court of Emperor Franz Josef. Once Sherman had secured a position in the orchestra, wife Lena and their children, Olga, Avrum (later "Al" or "Albert"), Edith and Regina arrived in Prague where they lived for about six years. New York In 1909, the Sherman family emigrated once again, this time to the United States of America, settling in New York City. In America, Sherman found difficulty getting orchestra work which he deemed worthy of his talent and résumé. In 1910 Lena gave birth to their fifth child, a son named Harold. In 1911, Samuel separated from Lena leaving her to take care of their children.