Oscar Spirescu (1874 – September 7, 1918) was a Romanian conductor, composer and pianist who killed himself in 1918.
Biography
Spirescu was born in Bucharest, Romania. He was married and had four children in Romania. He emigrated from Romania to the United States and married for a second time.
In Romania, he was the conductor of the Romanian Opera Orchestra in Bucharest; in the US he became conductor of the Strand Symphony Orchestra at the Strand Theatre in Manhattan.
He killed himself on September 7, 1918, with chloroform in Manhattan. He died intestate and his estate was valued at $3,000.
References
- ^ "Find Oscar Spirescu Dead In His Bed. Police Say Music Director of the Strand Killed Himself, But Friends Deny It" (PDF). New York Times. September 8, 1918. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "Oscar Spirescu Dies Suddenly". Musical Courier. 1918. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- David K. Frasier (2005). "Oscar Spirescu". Suicide in the Entertainment Industry. p. 299. ISBN 9780786423330.
- "Conductor Spirescu's Estate $3,000". Musical America. 1919. Retrieved 2015-10-10.