Frederick Lowe was a renowned American composer and lyricist who made significant contributions to the world of musical theater. Born on June 4, 1928, in Vienna, Austria, Lowe was the son of a Viennese father and an American mother. His family moved to the United States when he was just a child, and he grew up in New York City. Lowe showed an early interest in music and began taking piano lessons at the age of six. He later studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. After completing his studies, Lowe began working as a pianist and arranger for various Broadway shows. In 1951, Lowe made his debut as a composer with the musical "Love Life," which was a collaboration with writer Alan Jay Lerner. The show was a critical success and earned Lowe his first Tony Award nomination. However, it was his next collaboration with Lerner that would cement his place in musical theater history. In 1956, Lowe and Lerner created the musical "My Fair Lady," which became an instant classic. The show, based on George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion," tells the story of a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle who is transformed into a lady by a phonetics professor named Henry Higgins. The show's memorable songs, including "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "The Rain in Spain," became instant hits and helped to make the show a huge success. "My Fair Lady" went on to win six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was later adapted into a successful film starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. The show's success made Lowe and Lerner one of the most successful musical theater teams of the 1950s and 1960s. Lowe and Lerner went on to collaborate on several more successful shows, including "Gigi" (1958) and "Camelot" (1960). "Gigi," based on a novella by Colette, tells the story of a young girl in Paris who is groomed to become a courtesan. The show won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was later adapted into a successful film starring Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier. "Camelot," based on the legend of King Arthur, tells the story of the love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot. The show's memorable songs, including "If Ever I Would Leave You" and "Camelot," helped to make it a huge success. The show won four Tony Awards, including Best Actor for Richard Burton, who played King Arthur. In addition to his work with Lerner, Lowe also collaborated with other writers, including Sheldon Harnick and Burton Lane. He wrote the music for the musical "The Little Prince and the Aviator" (1981), which was based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. He also wrote the music for the musical "The Grand Tour" (1979), which starred Joel Grey. Throughout his career, Lowe received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to musical theater. In addition to his Tony Awards, he also won a Grammy Award for the cast recording of "My Fair Lady." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1985. Lowe continued to work in musical theater throughout his life, even after the death of his longtime collaborator Alan Jay Lerner in 1986. He wrote the music for the musical "Carmelina" (1979), which was based on the film "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell." He also wrote the music for the musical "The Prince of Central Park" (1989), which was based on the novel by Evan Rhodes.

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