Mayer, Sir Robert (1879-1985), a music teacher and philanthropist, became famous for the Robert Mayer Concerts for Children. Mayer was born in Mannheim, Germany, on June 5, 1879. He was educated at the Mannheim Conservatoire and the Guildhall School of Music in London. He was a successful executive for many years in the industrial metals business but is best known for his efforts to introduce young people to the enjoyment of music, chiefly through his children’s concerts, founded in 1923.
Mayer was a leading figure in a number of musical organizations and in 1932 helped to found the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He established an organization called Youth and Music (now the Robert Mayer Trust for Youth and Music) in 1954. His autobiography, My First Hundred Years, was published in 1979. Mayer was knighted in 1939. Sir Robert died on Jan. 9, 1985, at the age of 105.
