Regional History Project Oral Histories

Volume I supplements the personal archive donated by Kretschmer to the University Library. It documented his remarkable contributions to the cultural life of Santa Cruz since he settled here in 1962. His thirty years as a board member of the Cabrillo Music Festival and his long-standing association with the Santa Cruz Symphony gave him a unique perspective on the evolution of these two cultural institutions. As a connoisseur of great music and an engaged generous patron, Kretschmer contributed imagination, energy, and financial support in his unstinting devotion to Santa Cruz musical life.