Actually Josef Strauss, brother of the “Waltz King” Johann Strauss had taken up the bourgeois profession of an engineer and harbored no ambitions to become involved professionally in music. But when his musician brother fell severely ill in 1853, and his physicians orderedn him to take a half-year pause, the inexperienced Josef Strauss had to the leadership of the famous Strauss Orchestra thrust upon him. He was so successful at this task that he put aside his bourgeois profession three years later to devote all his time to music. And thus he followed in the footsteps of his father Johann senior and his brothers Johann and Eduard to become the fourth member of the great Strauss waltz family.
Born on August 20, 1827 in Vienna
Died on July 22, 1870 in Vienna