Wallace, WILLIAM VINCENT, born at Waterford, of Scotch parents, 1st June 1814, early attained proficiency as a performer on the pianoforte and violin—his performances on the latter instrument bringing him under the notice of Paganini. After being for some years leader of an orchestra in Dublin, he emigrated for health's sake to Australia in 1832. By-and-by he appeared in Sydney as a musician, and gave concerts in Australia, New Zealand, India, and America. In 1845 he came to England and wrote his first opera, Maritana, which was an immediate success both in London and Vienna, and still holds the stage as one of the most popular of English operas. Matilda of Hungary followed it in 1847. During a sojourn of some years in Germany Wallace added further to his musical culture; and after again visiting America he composed Lurline, which was brought out in London in 1860, with even greater success than Maritana. In 1861 he produced The Amber
Witch; in 1862, Love's Triumph; and in 1863, The Desert Flower. He died October 12, 1865, leaving another opera, Estrella, nearly completed. Wallace was a highly cultivated musician; the fresh motives and the brilliant orchestration of his operas stamped their author as one of the chief English composers of the century.