Karas, Anton |
| ZITHER PLAYER, COMPOSER (AUSTRIA) |
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BORN 7 Jul 1906, Wien - DIED 10 Jan 1985, Wien GRAVE LOCATION Wien: Friedhof Sievering, Nottebohmstrasse 51 (Gruppe 28, Reihe 9, Nummer 9) |
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Anton Karas wanted to become a musical director, but due to modest financial circumstances he was only able to train as a zither player at the Pollux musician school, where he took evening lessons (1920-1924). He worked at the Heurigen restaurants in Vienna and he studied harmony at the Academy in Vienna (1924-1928). In 1948 he met the British director Carol Reed. Reed asked him to compose and play music for his current movie "The Third Man". The "Harry Lime Theme" became a huge success. Suddenly he was a famous zither player and he toured all over the world. He was received at the Dutch court, by Sir Winston Churchill (1949) and by Queen Elizabeth (1950). In 1953 he opened his own restaurant in Grinzing, Vienna and he named it "Zum Dritten Man". |
| Images |
 The grave of Anton Karas at the Sievering Cemetery in Vienna. Picture by androom (15 Aug 2006) |
Sources • Bauer, Werner T., Wiener Friedhofsführer, Genaue Beschreibung sämtlicher Begräbnisstätten nebst einer Geschichte des Wiener Bestattungswesens, Falter Verlag, Wien, 1991 |
