born June 10, 1901, Berlin, Ger.
died Feb. 14, 1988, Palm Springs, Calif., U.S.
German-born U.S. songwriter.
Son of a Viennese tenor, Loewe was a piano prodigy; at age 13 he became the youngest soloist ever to appear with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He studied with Ferruccio Busoni and Eugène d'Albert. His song "Katrina," written at age 15, sold more than a million copies. Arriving in the U.S. in 1924, he contributed music to Broadway revues. In 1942 he met Alan Jay Lerner ; their 18-year collaboration would produce five classic musicals. Personal differences ended their partnership after Camelot (1960), but they reunited to adapt their film Gigi (1958) for the stage (1973) and to write songs for the film The Little Prince (1974).