Richter, Ada, 1900-1988

Ada Richter was born August 10, 1900. She began studying piano at age five. Her first teacher was "a young girl who played very little but taught Ada the notes." After one year she could play everything the teacher could play.

She became class accompanist in grade school. Upon graduation from high school at age fifteen she attended Camden (N.J.) Normal School to become an elementary school teacher.

In the next nine years Richter taught oversized classes of disadvantaged children in a poor area of New Jersey. At this time she also studied piano with Camille Zeckwer and Leo Ornstein at the Zeckwer-Hahn Musical Adademy in Philadelphia (now the Philadelphia College of Music and Arts). In 1921 she married her first husband; they had two children.

Her brother Dick was a very big influence in her life. He would sing show-tunes to her accompaniment. This introduced her to a world of new music, and was directly responsible for her arrangements for Warner Brothers and others.

Later she began study with Alfred Richter, whom she married in 1932. He encouraged her to compose and to get her music published. Her first publication was for Schirmer; her first songbook was published by Presser. She was so prolific a writer she was advised to take on a "nom de plume." In addition to Ada Richter she became "Hugh Arnold," "Wilma Moore," and "Eileen Gail." She even wrote words to her own music under her pen names.

Her lecture years began in the early 1940s. For some time she lectured alone. Alfred and Ada began duo lectures in the 1950s. Together they made five transcontinental tours. This ended in 1976 with Alfred's death.

Toward the end of Ada's career she met with music teachers privately who wanted to become acquainted with her method. She taught only one pupil personally, her great grandson. Ada Richter died in 1988.