Else, geb. Krams Cross (Gross)

1902 Czernowitz - 1987 London
Else Cross / Gross, Pianist und Teacher, born December 17, 1902 Czernowitz as a daughter of general manager David Osias Krams, died October 31, 1987 in London. Studied piano at the Conservatoire Czernowitz with Aglaia Klug, in Vienna with Ella Kerndl, piano and music theory with Eduard Steuermann and Anton Webern. Musicology studies at the University Vienna (dissertation 'Das deutsche lyrische Klavierstück von Mendelssohn bis Reger') seem credible, but are still to be confirmed. Since 1931 married to lawyer Dr. Leonhard Gross (Cross in Britain), she worked as a piano teacher and concert pianist in Vienna. After her concert debut in 1933 she appeared a. o. as soloist with the Wiener Konzertorchester in 1936; in January 1938 she premiered the Suite op. 56 by Egon Wellesz. 1938 exile to Great Britain, where she continued to concertize, giving world and british premieres of music by the Vienna School - a.o. brtish premiere of the 'Ode to Napoleon' by Arnold Schoenberg - and other contemporary composers, also as an accompanist of Dea Gombrich, Rosemary Rapaport, John Davies and Hermann Baron. After teaching positions at various colleges, from 1962 to 1982 she hold a Chair at the Royal Academy of Music London. She instilled the Else Cross Brahms Prize and the Else Cross Contemporary Piano Prize. Update Primavera Driessen Gruber July 17, 2015