Fritz Kramer

Austrian-American pianist (b. November 12, 1904 in Vienna, d. February 15, 1988 in New York). After studying music at the Vienna Conservatory, Fritz Kramer worked as pianist and repetitor for the Volksoper Wien and the Orchestra of the Wiener Scala-Theater. In Summer 1937, he replaced Ernst Engel as pianist of the Comedy Harmonists (2) and joined the group when they left Vienna for London after the Nazis annexed Austria to the German Reich in 1938. He toured Australia, South- and North America with the Comedy Harmonists (2). After the group broke apart in 1941, he settled in Sugar Hill, WA. In 1946, he and fellow Harmonist Hans Rexeis went to Cuba while they applied to become U.S. citizens. During that time, Kramer served as department head of music for Buena Vista College in Havanna and wrote the music for radio shows. In the following years, Kramer accompanied numerous singers, violinists, and others on concert tours of the United States. Naturalized in December 1950, he moved to New York where he taught piano at New York University and later joined the music faculty at Manhattan School of Music. He continued to perform nationally and internationally and for several years helped organize the Wagner festivals in Bayreuth and Seattle. He died on February 15, 1988 in New York.