Reginald De Koven

Reginald De Koven (born April 3, 1859, Middletown, Conn., U.S.—died Jan. 16, 1920, Chicago, Ill.) was an American composer, conductor, and critic who helped establish the style of American light opera.

De Koven graduated from the University of Oxford (1879) and studied composition in Germany, Austria, and France. On his return to the United States he contributed music criticism to Harper’s Weekly, the New York World, and other publications. Between 1887 and 1913 he composed 20 light operas, of which the most successful was Robin Hood (1890). Partly derived from the style of Gilbert and Sullivan and containing the songs “O Promise Me” and “Brown October Ale,” it received more than 3,000 performances. His other works included Rob Roy (1894), The Highwayman (1897), and Maid Marian (1901) and two grand operas, The Canterbury Pilgrims (1917) and Rip Van Winkle (1920).