Student of Joseph Böhm at Vienna Conservatory 1842-5, like his pianist brother Rudolf (1832—1913), he lived in Russia (1851-75): theory teacher to Chaikovsky in the 1850s. Member of the "Nuremberg Colony" of German musicians in St. Petersburg in the 50s and 60s, with violist Hieronymus Weickmann (1825—1895), violinist Johann Wilhelm Pickel (1829-1902) and others. His violin salon pieces such as "Fantasies on Russian folk songs", (5 vols) were published by M. Bernard of St. Petersburg.
