Biography
Lumbye began his musical training in Odense and Randers, and by fourteen he had already joined a military band on trumpet. He moved to Copenhagen at nineteen to advance those studies, and a decade afterward an encounter with a Strauss and Lanner orchestra left a lasting impression. From that point his output centered chiefly on light entertainment—dances and fantasies above all. By 1840 he had formed his own orchestra and was presenting his compositions with it. His contributions proved pivotal to the opening season of the Tivoli Gardens, where he remained musical director until 1872. Beyond his own catalog he also led symphonies and other foreign repertoire, taking these programs across Denmark and to audiences in Paris, Vienna, Hamburg, Berlin, St Petersburg, and Stockholm.