Robert Craft American conductor and writer Date of Birth: 20.10.1923 Country: USA

Biography of Robert Craft

Robert Craft was an American conductor and writer, best known for his close friendship with Igor Stravinsky. Born in Kingston, New York, Craft studied music at the Juilliard School. He had a particular interest in ancient musical compositions, works by Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz, as well as contemporary music by composers of the Second Viennese School.

Craft first met Stravinsky in 1948, and they remained friends until the composer's death in 1971. Their creative collaboration began in 1948, with Craft initially playing minor roles in their duo. However, he eventually rose to become a full-fledged partner. Craft compiled the libretto for Stravinsky's works "The Flood" and "A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer."

Craft lived with Stravinsky's family in New York and California. After Stravinsky's death, Craft continued to write and perform. He maintained a close relationship with Stravinsky's widow, Vera. In 2002, Craft published his memoir "An Improbable Life," in which he recounted his life before, during, and after his friendship with Stravinsky. He placed particular emphasis on how Stravinsky influenced his life.

Alongside Stravinsky, Craft published a series of books, not only on musical topics. These include "Conversations with Igor Stravinsky" (1959), "Memories and Commentaries" (1960), "Expositions and Developments" (1962), "Dialogues and a Diary" (1963), "Themes and Episodes" (1967), and "Retrospectives and Conclusions" (1969). These books contain recordings of conversations, interviews, essays, diary excerpts, and more. Their aim was to demonstrate Stravinsky's views on music and culture to the world. However, it is difficult to determine how much of these books truly reflect Stravinsky's own thoughts, as many believe that Craft heavily influenced their content.

Craft also established himself as an outstanding conductor, working with numerous major orchestras in the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Japan, Korea, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.