Fritz Pauer

Who was Fritz Pauer?

Fritz Pauer was an Austrian jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader.

Born in Vienna, Pauer began his professional playing career as a teenager, performing with Hans Koller before leading his own ensembles in Berlin. In the 1960s he played with, among others, Don Byas, Booker Ervin, Art Farmer, Dexter Gordon, Friedrich Gulda, and Annie Ross. From 1968-1970 he taught at the Vienna Conservatory, and following this was a member of the Osterreicher Rundfunk dance orchestra. In the 1970s he recorded as a leader as well as with Klaus Weiss and Peter Herbolzheimer.

Pauer moved to Peru briefly in the mid-1980s, but moved to Switzerland in 1986. Later in life he became a university professor.