William Kroll was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

ist.
Kroll was born in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and died in Boston, Massachusetts. His most famous composition is Banjo and Fiddle for violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

 and piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

.

Biography

William Kroll greatly contributed to music during his day, both as a soloist and as a member of various intimate chamber ensemble

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

s. From 1911 to 1914 he was a student of Marteau at the Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

 Hochschule für Musik. The time he was a pupil of Franz Kneisel

Franz Kneisel

Franz Kneisel was an American violinist and teacher of Romanian birth.Born in Bucharest, the son of a German bandmaster, he learned to play the flute, clarinet and trumpet, as well as the violin...

 and P. Goetschius at the Institute of Musical Art (1917 - 1922), he made his professional debut in New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. After completing his schooling, he toured parts of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, North

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, and Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

 as a soloist and a member of the Elshuco Trio (1922 - 1929), the Coolidge Quartet (1936 - 1944), and the Kroll Quartet (1944 - 1969). In the midst of his performance schedule, he taught at various facilities, first at the Institute of Musical Art (1922 - 1938), then at the Mannes College (1943), the Peabody Conservatory (1947 - 1965), Tanglewood

Tanglewood

Tanglewood is an estate and music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home since 1937. It was the venue of the Berkshire Festival.- History...

 (as of 1949), the Cleveland Institute of Music

Cleveland Institute of Music

The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....

 (1964 - 1967), and also at Queens College beginning in 1969.

Selected compositions

Orchestra

• Arabesque
• Jolly Good Fellow
• Little March

String Quartet

• Four Bagatelles for String Quartet (published 1943)

1. Coquette

2. Giocoso

3. The Veiled Picture

4. Mood

• Four Characteristic Pieces for String Quartet (published 1935)

1. Little March

2. Magyar

3. The Ancient (Based on a Hebrew Melody)

4. Cossack

Violin and Piano

• Arabesque (published 1945)
• Banjo and Fiddle (published 1945)
• Bizarresque (published 1928)
• Caprice (published 1949)
• Cossack (published 1929)
• Happy-Go-Lucky (published 1949)
• Juanita (published 1945)
• Moment Musical (published 1949)
• Out of the East (published 1927)
• Pantomime (published 1937)
• Polka for Violin and Piano Accompaniment or Optional Violin Accompaniment (published 1949)
• Prayer (published 1945)
• Russian Lullaby (published 1927)
• Three Violin Pieces in the First Position with Piano Accompaniment or Optional Violin Accompaniment (published 1945)

1. Donkey Doodle

2. Contra Dance

3. Peter Rabbit

• Valse Tendre (published 1930)