Paul Abraham, born Ábrahám Pál on November 2, 1892, in Apatin, Austria-Hungary (now Serbia), was a Jewish-Hungarian composer renowned for his operettas, particularly in the German-speaking world. He innovatively incorporated jazz interludes into operettas, which became his hallmark. Abraham studied at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music in Budapest from 1910 to 1916, where he learned cello under Adolf Schiffer and composition with Viktor Herzfeld.

Initially, Abraham composed serious works, including sacred music and a cello concerto. His career in operetta began when he became a conductor at the Budapest Operetta Theatre in 1927. His first operetta, "Der Gatte des Fräuleins," debuted in 1928. However, it was "Viktoria und ihr Husar" in 1930 that brought him significant acclaim. This success was followed by "Die Blume von Hawaii" in 1931 and "Ball im Savoy" in 1933, cementing his international reputation.

The rise of the Nazi regime in 1933 forced Abraham to flee Germany due to his Jewish heritage and the regime's classification of his work as "degenerate art." He lived in Vienna, Paris, and eventually Cuba, before emigrating to New York City. After a mental breakdown, he was hospitalized in 1946. In 1956, he returned to Hamburg, Germany, where he lived until his death on May 6, 1960. Abraham's legacy includes numerous operettas and film scores, and he is remembered for his contributions to the genre and his innovative integration of jazz elements.