Fritz Kreisler

Actor

Date of birth : 02/01/1875

Date of death : 01/29/1962

City of birth : Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]

Violinist, composer and arranger, educated at the Vienna Conservatory (which he entered at age seven and won a Gold Medal at ten) with Auber and Hellmesberger, and at the Paris Conservatory with Massart and Delibes, where he graduated at age twelve with the Grand Prix. In 1888, at age thirteen, he made his American debut at Steinway Hall in New York, and the next year he toured with pianist Moriz Rosenthal. Returning to Europe, he studied medicine in Vienna and art in Rome and Paris. After serving in the Austrian army, he resumed his concert career in 1899, and made world tours. During World War I, he served as a captain in the Austrian army, and resumed again his concert appearances in 1914. He became a French citizen in 1938 (and was a commander in the French Legion of Honor), and came to the USA in 1943, making many records. Joining ASCAP in 1924, he also wrote several popular songs, including "Stars in My Eyes" and "The Second Violin".