A German virtuoso and writer, born in Leipzig and active in England. Ferdinand Praeger's father was a violinist and composer who served as director of the opera house in Leipzig for ten years from 1818, and later became Kapellmeister at the court in Hanover. In this musical environment, his son Ferdinand initially played the cello, but later decided to become a pianist after receiving piano instruction from Hummel in Weimar. After working as a piano teacher in The Hague, Netherlands, he moved to London and made the city his lifelong base of operations.  Praeger, who was unstinting in his admiration for Wagner, conducted Wagner's works at a London Philharmonic Society concert when Wagner was invited to London in 1855. Praeger, who had a close relationship with Wagner, later published a work titled Wagner as I Knew Him (1885). However, it was later discovered that some of the quoted letters were fabricated, leading to criticism from researchers. Nevertheless, its documentary value as a memoir detailing Praeger's personal impressions of Wagner has been re-evaluated today.  Although the full scope of Praeger's compositions is not yet fully understood, over 100 works published without opus numbers exist, including many concert pieces. His style anticipates the urban and modern sensibility of next-generation musicians such as Jules Massenet (1842-1919) and Louis Diémer (1843-1919)from France.  He died in London in 1891.