Robert Lawson Craft (born October 20, 1923) is an
American conductor and writer. He is best known for his intimate working friendship with
Igor Stravinsky, a relationship which resulted in a number of recordings and books.
Craft was born in Kingston, New York and studied music at the Juilliard School. He became particularly interested in early music and the music of Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz, and in contemporary music by the composers of the Second Viennese School and others.
Craft met Stravinsky in 1948, and from then until the composer's death in 1971, Craft continued to work alongside Stravinsky in a variety of roles. A relationship that started as out with Craft in a rather modest role eventually evolved into a full blown artistic partnership. Craft wrote the libretto for The Flood, and lived with the Stravinsky family in California and later in New York. Craft continued to remain close to the composer's widow Vera until her death in 1982.
After Stravinsky's death, Craft continued to concertize and to write. His 2002 book, An Improbable Life, details his life before, during, and after his friendship with Stravinsky. The memoir elaborates on the impact that Igor Stravinsky had on his life. (One minor error that appears in it is on p.123, where the violist of the then Budapest Quartet is referred to as "Mischa Kroyt," which should be "Boris Kroyt.")
