Background
Becker was born in Quedlinburg.
composer conductor university professor
Becker was born in Quedlinburg.
In 1853–1856 he studied music composition under Siegfried Dehn in Berlin.
He taught on the faculty of the Akademie der Künste where his famous pupils included Johan Halvorsen and Jean Sibelius. In 1889 he was appointed conductor of the Royal cathedral choir in Berlin. He was the grandfather of composer Günter Raphael.
He died in Berlin.