William Edwin Haesche (April 11, 1867 – January 26, 1929"William Edwin Haesche" in Virginia, Death Records, 1912–2014 on Ancestry.com) was an American composer.
Haesche was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Henry W. Haesche, a German immigrant, and his wife, the former Rosian Gaffney, an Irish immigrant.
He studied violin with Bernard Listemann and piano with Ernst Perabo. He was mainly self-taught in music theory, except for a course in fugue and general composition with Horatio Parker at Yale University where he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Music. He co-founded the New Haven Symphony Orchestra where he played first violin. He conducted the People's Choral Union, a choir of 250 voices. In 1903 he became instructor of instrumentation at Yale.
In the 1894 New Haven city directory, he is listed as being a violin teacher.New Haven Directory, 1894, New Haven, The Price & Lee Co., 1894), p. 633. available on Ancestry.com,
He wrote a number of works for orchestra, as well as some chamber music and songs; he also composed some pieces for choir. Haesche composed the piece "Marguerite Waltz" for viola and piano.Solos for Young Violists, Vol. 1, Naxos Records
His works include: 1896: Forest Idylle, tone poem for orchestra 1897: Fridtjof Saga, overture (won a prize) 1898: Young Lovel's Bride, ballad for female choir and orchestra 1899: Springtime, overture 1901: Symphony in A-flat 1903: The Haunted Oak of Nannau, dramatic cantata for chorus and orchestra 1904: Fridtjof, symphonic poem 1904: Ingeborg, symphonic poem 1913: The South, symphonic poem 1913: Symphonietta Sonata for piano and violin in E major Legend for violin, cello and piano Anthems, songs
At the time of his death he was employed by Hollins College where he was teaching music theory.Helen M. Walker, "Contemporary Virginia Composers," The Virginia Teacher 7, no. 6 (June 1926), p. 162. As stated on his death certificate, Haesche died in Roanoke, Virginia, of carcinoma of the rectum after two operations.
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