About William Farre
Lived 1874 – 1950 (aged 75). William Farre was a Norwegian musician, conductor and composer.
William Andrew Farre (born William Johnsen, August 1, 1874 – April 5, 1950) was a Norwegian musician, conductor, and composer.
Biography Farre was born in Trondheim.
He directed a Salvation Army orchestra in Stavanger in 1895 and also played in a Salvation Army brass band.
Later, he established the company "William Johnsens musikkforlag og utsalg" (William Johnsen Music Publishing and Sales) in Kristiania (now Oslo). The company printed sheet music for school bands. Farre himself composed some of the music, including the march "Guttene kommer" (The Boys are Coming). His company planned to make sound recordings of over 100 Norwegian dialects, but went bankrupt after recording four dialects.
Farre adopted the surname Farre in 1915.
He died in Oslo.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in William Farre's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped William Farre's
Frequently asked questions
Who was William Farre?
Norwegian musician, conductor and composer (1874–1950)
When was William Farre born?
William Farre was born on 1 August 1874.
When did William Farre die?
William Farre died on 5 April 1950.
What was William Farre's occupation?
William Farre was a musician, conductor and composer.
What nationality was William Farre?
William Farre was Norwegian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Farre. https://biography.guide/william-farre/
MLA: "William Farre." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-farre/.
Chicago: "William Farre." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-farre/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:02 UTC