Sir Robert Mayer, a financier, philanthropist and co-founder of the London Philharmonic Orchestra lived until he was 105. For most of his life, he championed British music and encouraged younger generations to participate in the arts.
Mayer was born in Mannheim, Germany and displayed an early talent for music. At the age of five, he was chosen to attend the Mannheim conservatoire and once sat next to his musical idol, the famous 19th Century composer Brahms, at a concert.
After moving to London and working several jobs in the lace trade and banking industry, Mayer served in the British Army during the First World War. A year after his return, he met Dorothy Moulton, an avant garde singer, who encouraged him to follow his heart and pursue a career in music. The pair married in 1919 and emigrated to the United States, where Mayer encountered a series of children’s concerts organised by conductor and composer Walter Damrosch.
Inspired by the way Damrosch’s children’s concerts led young people to get involved in orchestra, Mayer decided to found his own Concerts for Children in 1923, funding hundreds of similar performances.
His dedication to musical education soon won him recognition amongst elite society. Queen Elizabeth II attended one of Sir Robert’s orchestras when she was six years old and many years later, the Queen Mother introduced Prince Charles to classical music by bringing him to one of Mayer’s concerts when he was four years old.
Sir Robert was knighted for his service to youth music by King George VI in 1939. When he finally turned 100 years old in 1979, Queen Elizabeth organised a special tribute to him at The Royal Festival Hall, where the London Schools Symphony Orchestra was playing.
Mayer’s London residence was once in the heart of London, located in a Grade II Listed mansion building close to Marylebone High Street. Now, an apartment in the same building is on the market with Dexters. A blue heritage plaque commemorates Sir Robert at the entrance.
The three bedroom apartment, located inside a 24 hour portered building, has a spacious dining and living room with space for a home office for those working flexibly. Two of the bedrooms have integrated wardrobes and storage, while the principal bedroom has an en suite bathroom with twin sinks and a shower room. Outside, there’s also a private terrace that would be perfect for enjoying a morning cup of coffee.
‘Under half a mile from Baker Street and Great Portland Street, this stylish apartment is near to Regent’s Park,’ says James Staite, Director of Dexters Marylebone. ‘It would make a great home for a pair of young professionals looking to live in central London with fantastic transport links to the rest of the city.’
