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