Augustus Stephen Vogt FRCO

A great Canadian and distinguished musician, Augustus Vogt was always an ardent admirer of Waterloo County. He was born in the village of Washington in Oxford County, but at the age of four went with his family to Elmira. He studied under the best teachers available in Waterloo County. At the age of fourteen he was an organist for St. James Lutheran Church, Elmira, and at sixteen organist and choirmaster of First Methodist Church, St. Thomas.

He subsequently studied in Boston and in Leipzig, Germany. On his return he was appointed organist and choirmaster of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, Toronto, developing its choir until it had a wide reputation. In 1894 he organized the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, judged at that time to be the finest group of singers in North America. Concerts were presented in U.S. cities and overseas.

Modern Piano Techniques was one of his great works.