A major American cellist, composer and conductor, Victor Herbert studied cello at the Stuttgart Conservatory. In 1886, Herbert’s family immigrated to the United States. Herbert became the principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera orchestra. In 1892, Herbert was appointed conductor of the 22nd Regimental Band of the New York National Guard after the great Patrick Gilmore had retired. From 1898 to 1902 Herbert was the principal conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and traveled with the orchestra to New York and Chicago. Together with John Philip Sousa, Herbert established the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).