Music, My Fair Lady

Loewe was born in Berlin to Viennese parents. His father was a noted Jewish operetta star. Loewe learned to play piano by ear at an early age and started composing by 7. At a music conservatory he won the coveted Hollander Medal. At 13, he was the youngest piano soloist ever to appear with the Berlin Philharmonic. After moving to New York, Loewe met lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and started collaborating on musicals. Their first hit was Brigadoon (1947), followed by the less-successful Paint Your Wagon (1951). The pair’s biggest hits were the long-running Broadway musicals My Fair Lady (1956) and Camelot (1960), both of which were made into films. The pair also collaborated on the Broadway musical The Little Prince and the film musical Gigi (1958). 

Awards: Tony Awards (Bridgadoon, one; My Fair Lady, six; Camelot, four); Academy Award for Gigi.