Koelling, Adolph B.

1840-

Composer and teacher, who was born at Hamburg, Germany. His father was a prominent orchestra player in Hamburg and his elder brother, Karl, was his first musical instructor. In 1850 he began to study with Degenhardt, organist at St. Katherine's Church in Hamburg, and in 1856 he studied theory and composition under Edward Monen,  who had taught Johannes Brahms. In 1857 he brought out some piano variations, playing them himself and receiving great praise for them. He studied counterpoint and fugue with Gradener, and then went to London, where he taught for a while, but finally returned to Hamburg, where he studied instrumentation with A. Riccius. His piano quartet received praise from Brahms, and his sonata for piano and violin was favorably noticed by 'David. In 1872 he came to America and taught at Cottage Hill Seminary, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Later he became head of the department of free composition at the Chicago Musical College. Among his compositions are a quartet in C minor for piano, violin, viola and violoncello; trio for violin, violoncello and piano in E major; two romanzes for violin and piano; three pieces for cello and piano; quartet in C minor; quartet in B major; a gavotte for stringed orchestra, and many songs.