Adolf Lotter was born in Prague on 4 December 1871 and studied double bass with František Černý, and composition with Antonín Dvořák, at the Prague Conservatoire.
He lived in London from 1894, until his death in 1942, and quickly established himself as one of the leading bassists of his generation, performing with many of the famous conductors of the day including Sir Henry Wood, Richard Strauss, Weingartner, and Sir Thomas Beecham.
Lotter was a member of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra for over thirty years (1898- 1930), becoming Principal Bass in 1911, and also played with the London Symphony Orchestra, London String Players, Guildford Symphony Orchestra, and Glyndebourne Festival Orchestra (1935-36).