Rooke, William Michael (1794–1847), violinist and composer, was born 29 September 1794 in Dublin, the son of John Rourke (or O'Rourke), a Dublin tradesman. As a youth he played a variety of wind and stringed instruments and joined an orchestral society. He also studied harmony, and his first composition was a song, ‘Fair one, take this rose’. On taking up music as a profession in 1813, he changed his last name to Rooke; at this stage he concentrated on the violin and studied counterpoint with Philip Cogan (qv). In 1817 he became chorus master and deputy leader at the theatre in Dublin's Crow Street.
One of Rooke's earliest successes was his vocal piece ‘O glory, in thy brightest hours’, which was sung by the famed English tenor and composer John Braham (1774–1856). The young Michael William Balfe (qv), who, according to L. M. Middleton, first appeared as a child violinist in May 1816, was one of Rooke's pupils. Having already written his first opera, ‘Amilie, or The love test’ (libretto by John Thomas Haines (c.1799–1843)) – for which he is best known – in 1818, Rooke found it difficult to earn a livelihood in Ireland, and in 1821 moved to London. His musical play ‘The pirate’ (libretto by William Dimond (c.1780–c.1836), after Walter Scott), was performed at Drury Lane on 15 January 1822. By 1826 he was in Birmingham leading oratorios, though that same year he also sought appointment as chorus master at Drury Lane Theatre, which at that time had the Irish singer, instrumentalist, and composer Thomas Simpson Cooke (qv) as musical director. From 1830 to 1833 Rooke was leader at Vauxhall Gardens under Sir Henry Rowley Bishop (1786–1855) and taught singing. ‘Amilie’ was finally produced at Covent Garden on 2 December 1837, Middleton noting that ‘it had a long run, but apparently brought small profit to the manager’. A second opera, ‘Henrique, or The love pilgrim’ (libretto by Haines), was first heard at Covent Garden on 2 May 1839. Although favourably received, it was withdrawn after only five performances on account of a dispute with the theatre manager, the actor William Charles Macready (1793–1873). Already, in his diary entry for 23 November 1838, Macready had written: ‘Read the remainder of the libretto of Mr. Haynes for Rooke's opera, which I think the greatest mass of unintelligible trash that ever perplexed a moderate intellect – perfectly detestable.’ Two further operas by Rooke, ‘Cagliostro’ and ‘The Valkyrie’, were never performed. Apart from the four operas, he also composed songs.
Rooke died 14 October 1847 at Fulham after a long illness, and was survived by his wife (name unknown) and several children. He was buried at Brompton cemetery.