Franz Strauss | |
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| Born | Franz Joseph Strauss 26 February 1822 |
| Died | 31 May 1905 (aged 83) |
| Occupation(s) | Horn player and composer |
| Spouse(s) | Elise Seiff (1851–1854) Joséphine Pschorr (1863–death) |
| Children | 4; including Richard Strauss |
Franz Josef Strauss (26 February 1822 – 31 May 1905) was a German musician. He was a composer, a virtuoso horn player and accomplished performer on the guitar, clarinet and viola. He was principal horn player of the Bavarian Court Opera for more than 40 years, a teacher at the Royal School of Music, Munich, and a conductor.
Strauss was the father of the composer Richard Strauss, on whose early musical development he was a great influence, steering his son to the classical and away from modern styles. As a composer, Strauss senior is remembered for his works for the horn. They include two concertos and numerous smaller works.