 He served as assistant conductor in the US for the San Carlo Opera Company under the management of Henry Russell.Lyford was associate conductor of the Opera Company of Boston from 1908–1914, working as a member of Max Rabinoff's staff and for a short time assisted in the opera department at the New England Conservatory.Later he conducted 3 seasons from 1912-1915 of over 200 presentations of operas with the Aborn Opera Company.