Biographical details

1895  Born on 10 July in Munich
1898  Birth of his sister Maria (Mia)
1900  First piano tuition and first recording of compositions on a slate
1905  Music composed for his own puppet theatre
1912-14  Studies at the Academy of Music in Munich
1914  Further studies with Hermann Zilcher
1916  Musical director of Munich Chamber Theatre
1917  Military service, trapped on the Eastern front
1918  Musical director in Mannheim and Darmstadt
1919  Study of old masters of the 16th and 17th century; private circle of students in Munich
1920-27  Married to Alice Solscher
1920  Studies with Heinrich Kaminski
1921  Birth of daughter Godela

1924  Foundation of Günther School in Munich
1925  First performance of new arrangement of ›L'Orfeo‹ by Monteverdi
1926  Begins cooperation with Gunild Keetman
1930  Performance of ›Entrata‹ originally by William Byrd
1931  First editions of Schulwerk
1932  Arrangement and adaptation of the St Lukas Passion attributed to Bach
1932-33  Musical director of Munich Bach Society
1936  Music for ›Olympic Festival‹: “Einzug und Reigen”
1937  First performance of ›Carmina Burana‹
1939-53  Married to Gertrud Willert
1939  First performance of ›Der Mond‹ and first performance of ›Ein Sommernachtstraum‹ (3rd version)
1943  First performance of ›Die Kluge‹ und ›Catulli Carmina‹
1944   Günther school closed down by the Nazis

1947  Receives music prize from the city of Munich; first performance of ›Bernauerin‹
1948  First school radio broadcasts ›Orff-Schulwerk. Musik für Kinder‹
1949  First performance of ›Antigonae‹
1950-54  Schott Music publishes ›Orff-Schulwerk. Musik für Kinder‹
1950-60  Director of master class for composition at the Music College in Munich
1953  First performance of ›Trionfo di Afrodite‹
1954-59  Married to Luise Rinser
1956  Member of the fraternity ›pour le mérite‹ for arts and sciences
1959  First performance of ›Oedipus der Tyrann‹; honorary professor of the University of Tübingen
1960  Married Liselotte Schmitz
1962, 1963 und 1966  Gives lectures on ›Schulwerk‹ abroad
1968  First performance of ›Prometheus‹
1972  Honorary professor of the University of Munich, awarded Great Cross of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany
1973  First performance of ›De temporum fine comoedia‹
1975-81  Work on the documentation ›Carl Orff und sein Werk‹ in eight volumes
1982  Died on 29 March in Munich, buried in the Chapel of sorrow in the monastery church of Andechs

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Images: all OZM; except 4: Minna Ronnefeld; 7: Christa Feiler

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