From humble origins in Silesia, he became a conductor and impressario in Wilhelmine Germany (1870-). His orchestra, the Bilse´schen Kapelle was the forerunner of the Berlin Philharmonic. Bilse's name was as famous in Germany as Strauss' was in Austria-Hungary. The Berlin Philharmonic was formed in 1882 by a breakaway group of musicians who initially used the name Vormalige Bilse´sche Kapelle.
