Theodore Oesten

Who was Theodore Oesten?

Theodore Oesten was a German composer, musician, and music teacher.

Oesten was born in Berlin. He learned to play wind and string instruments from the Stadtmusikus in Fürstenwalde. At the age of nineteen he studied composition with Böhmer, Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen, Schneider, and A. W. Bach in Berlin. Oesten is perhaps best known for his easy to play piano compositions, including transcriptions of operatic works, written in the sentimental style of his day. He died in his native city of Berlin. His son Max also became a composer.