Autographed 7.5" x 9.5" presentation photograph by W. J. Dole of Kansas City.  Below his autograph, on the mount, Busch has written Kansas City Mo, October 19, 1899

Carl Busch (1862-1943) was a triple threat musician his entire life, equally comfortable on the violin, cello and flute.  He was born in Denmark, studied composition with Niels Gade, Johan Hartmann and Johan Svendsen there.  He then went to Paris to study with Gounod, Godard and spent significant time with Saint-Saens. 

A former music publisher in Denmark, Thyge Skogaard was appointed Denmark's Vice Consul in Kansas City, saw the deplorable state of music in the city and knew Busch.  He suggested he come to Kansas City and help build music programs.  So Busch and three friends formed the Gade String Quartet and in 1887 headed for Kansas City, Missouri, performng concerts on their way from New York.  He quickly began to teach music in the city, got involved with the musical ensembles such as they were and founded two important musical ensembles to the city, The Philharmonic Choral Society which he directed up to World War I and then The Kansas City Symphony Orchestra which he founded recruited musicians to and led from 1911 to 1917, when both organizations lost so many men to the military, that they could not continue.  Busch contionued to conduct the operational major symphony orchestras around the country and in 1938, the renewed Kansas City Symphony performed a concert in his honor.

As a composer, Busch was wholly enamored with the music of Native Americans and became an ethnomusicologist traveling around to reservations and listening to music which he incorporated into his own music.  Initially he would write solo piano and violin and piano versions which he would enlarge.  "Four Indian Tribal Melodies for String Orchestra" is perhaps his best known work and one can hear it on Youtube in several versions.  The music he employed in that work are the music of the Omaha and the Chpewa tribes.  "A Chant From the Great Plains" for Band, and the "Suite Ozarka" are two more of his many works on both Native American and American themes.

He was decorated by the King of Denmark on one of his trips home and became known amongst his friends as "Sir Carl".  

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