Michael Balfe
(1808-1870)

Michael William Balfe was born in Dublin on 15 May 1808, the son of violinist and composer William Michael Rooke (né O’Rourke). When he was still only sixteen years old, he was a violinist and baritone at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

In 1825 he went to Italy, where he sang in Palermo and at La Scala. In 1846 he was appointed conductor and director of Italian opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, London, a post he filled for seven years. He composed many works including at least twenty-nine operas, of which the most successful was The Bohemian Girl (1843).

Michael Balfe died of bronchitis, aged 62, on 20 October 1870 at Rowney Abbey, his home in Hertfordshire. He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in London. 

According to his obituary in the Manchester Evening News (21 October 1870): ‘When very young he displayed great talent for music, and received instruction at Wexford, from the bandmaster of a regiment stationed there, afterwards having lessons from the well known composer C.E. Horn, and also from his father. His progress during a short course of study as a violin player was rapid. In 1824 he appeared in the opera Freyschutz at the Norwich Theatre, and proceeded to Italy where he first came before the public as a composer. Going to Paris in 1827, he met with great success under the name of Balfi, as a bass singer, in company with Malibran and Sontag. Having again visited Italy, where he produced a series of operas for Milan, Paris, and London, he became in 1845 [sic] director of the Italian Opera in London.’