Born in New York in 1865 of German parents, Alvin Kranich studied piano in Europe with Anton Rubinstein and was one of the corporate officers of the renowned piano factory Kranich & Bach, founded by his father Helmuth.  After a busy touring and composing life abroad, he returned to New York for good in 1930; from 1932 to 1937, "Dr. Kranich" hosted the weekly show Musical Essays on WNYC. In 1935 he presented a series on the station titled "The piano-forte: its development and its literature" alongside Lionel Sinclair, and occasionally appeared on the WNYC program Musicale. His "Fantasy Overture" was broadcast over WNYC's airwaves.