LOESSER, ARTHUR (26 Aug. 1894-4 Jan. 1969), internationally known pianist and head of the piano faculty at the CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC, was born in New York City, the son of Henry and Bertha Loesser. He studied at New York College, Columbia University, and with Stojowski at the Institute of Musical Art (later part of the Julliard School). He began his concert career in 1913 and toured Europe, Australia, and the Far East. He joined the piano faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1926, becoming its head in 1953. In 1943 he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army and became a Japanese interpreter. He later became the first American musician to appear in Japan, with the Nippon Symphony, following WORLD WAR II. In Cleveland, Loesser not only taught but also was a writer on music. He was program editor and annotator for the CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA from 1937-42 and music critic for the CLEVELAND PRESS from 1938-56. His popular books, Humor in American Song, and Men, Women, and Pianos, were published in 1943 and 1954 respectively. Loesser's later concert career included appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Minneapolis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra. Loesser married Jean Bassett; they had a daughter, Anne. He was the brother of Frank Loesser, well-known popular composer. Loesser died in Cleveland and was cremated.
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