His mother, Johanna Nathan, was a professional soprano and performed for noted composers such as Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Busoni and Julius Stockhausen, who was her tutor.

[1] He studied music under Eduard Jung (a piano teacher from Dr. Hoch's Conservatorium, Frankfurt, specialising in talented future prospects) and left Nazi Germany for South Africa in 1933.

In addition, he acquired early keyboard instruments – a 1589 clavicytherium, clavichords, a glasschord, an octave spinet, harpsichords, a fortepiano and two modern Steinway grand pianos.

[9] Adler's library grew very comprehensive, especially in keyboard compositions and productions, and, together with the instrument collection, evolved into a museum housed in his Johannesburg home.

It was eventually willed to the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, who opened a "Hans Adler Memorial Museum" in their Arts Building in 1980.