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Abram Loft (January 9, 1922 – February 1, 2019) was an American Violinist, and Violist, who was a long-time member (1954 to 1979) of the Fine Arts Quartet, Distinguished professor emeritus (1963 to 1979) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Distinguished professor emeritus of chamber music (1979 to 1986) at The Eastman School of Music.

A violinist and violist, he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Columbia University (Ph.D. in Musicology), where he taught music history from 1946 to 1954. He also lectured in music history at the Manhattan School of Music from 1951 to 1954. He performed frequently during this entire period.

As a member of the Fine Arts Quartet from 1954 to 1979, he performed in concerts throughout America, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East, and he served, along with that ensemble, on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1963 to 1979.

In 1979 He left the quartet and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to accept a post as Chair of the String Department and Professor of Chamber Music at The Eastman School of Music where he served until his retirement in 1986.

Dr. Loft has been a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of the American Musicological Society and of College Music Society’s Symposium, and contributor to the New Grove Dictionary of American Music.

He is author of 4 books: The Violin and Keyboard: The Duo Repertoire (Vols. 1 & 2), Ensemble!—A Rehearsal Guide to Thirty Great Works of Chamber Music; and How to Succeed in an Ensemble: Reflections on a Life in Chamber Music, as well as many scholarly articles.

His Awards include: Laureate of the The Lincoln Academy of Illinois (1967), University of Rochester’s Edward P. Curtis Award for Undergraduate Teaching (1984) and the American String Teachers Association’s Distinguished Service Award (1993).

He was a summer faculty member at Kneisel Hall School of Chamber Music in Blue Hill, Maine and He continued to serve as a competition judge and chamber music coach in America and abroad into his 90's.

Abram Loft was an avid photographer who did his own color darkroom work and He also developed an ongoing interest and avocation building very fine quality wooden furniture in his extensive home workshop.

Abram loft passed away peacefully, at his home in Rochester, NY, surrounded by family and friends on February 1, 2019.