Gerhard Bronner

1922 Wien - 2007 Wien
Gerhard Bronner, born October 23, 1922 Vienna, died January 19, 2007 Vienna, pianist, composer, cabaret artist, author, theatre and music producer, theatre director, translator. As a child short-term piano lessons Vienna Volkskonservatorium, largely self-educated musician. In May 1938 adventurous flight via Brno (window cleaner, street musician, deportation to 'German' border, illegal return to Brno), as a stowaway to Rustschuk, Bulgaria, by foot to Constanța, from there illegally on refugee ship 'Draga' to Palestine. First jobs as diker, on an orange farm, in a canning factory. Started as pianist in Haifa bars, soon to be accompanist ‘Cliff Gordon-Show’ British Army, later on Bandleader ENSA, CSE (Combined Service Entertainment), radio editor in Haifa. February 1948 return to Vienna, programm maker for radio Rot-Weiss-Rot, 1951 debut as theatre author and composer, 1953-55 television music director Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR); 1955 owner 'Marietta Bar', 1956 leaseholder and director (with Georg Kreisler) Intimes Theater Vienna. Cabaret with Carl Merz, Helmut Qualtinger, Peter Wehle, Louise Martini and Georg Kreisler, programs a. o. ‘Brettl vor’m Kopf’ (1952), ‘Spiegel vor’m Gsicht’ (1958), ‘Dachl über’m Kopf’ (1959) and ‘Hackl im Kreuz’ (1960). 1979-88 ORF radio cabaret ‚Guglhupf‘. Biggest succes in his own eyes: author of a revised version of ‘Die Fledermaus’ for Covent Garden London. 1978 Gold Cross of Merit for Sciences and Art of the Republic of Austria and ‚Republikanischer Maria Theresia-Orden für unösterreichische Aktivitäten im Dienst an Österreich‘ [Republican Maria Theresia Medal for Un-Austrian Activities in favor of Good Services to Austria] (Hans Weigel), 2002 Gold Medal Federal State of Vienna. Bronners memoirs ‘Spiegel vorm Gesicht’ were published 2004. Four children, amongst them Oskar Bronner, founder and editor of Austrian newspaper 'Der Standard'. Update Primavera Driessen Gruber January 12, 2014