Rudi Gfaller

Rudi Gfaller (10 November 1882 – 11 February 1972) was an Austrian operetta composer and singer. Born in Vienna, he began his career as an actor and singer and appeared in various provincial theatres in Germany. In 1906, he composed the first of his twelve operettas. Gfaller was married to the operetta singer Therese Wiet and often appeared with her in Leipzig where the couple were based for most of their careers. In 1943 he retired to their house in Bad Ischl where he died at the age of 89. Life and career Gfaller was born in Vienna, the son of a restaurant proprietor. He began acting in children’s roles at the Carltheater in the suburbs of Vienna and then attended the Dorr’sche Theatre and Music School. As an adult he worked as an actor and tenor singer in musical theatre and operetta in various provincial theatres in Germany and in what is now the Czech Republic, including Rudolstadt, Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Magdeburg, and Stralsund. In 1906, he composed his first operetta, Der Frühlingsonkel which premiered at the municipal theatre in Stralsund. He then relocated to Leipzig where he continued his career as an operetta singer. It was there that he met his future wife, the soprano