Carl Orff

Born: July 10, 1895, in Munich, Germany

Died: March 29, 1982 in Munich

Education: studied cello and piano as a young boy; 1914, graduated from the Munich Academy of Music; 1919, studied composition with Heinrich Kaminski in Munich

Assignments: 1914, appointed Kapellmeister of the Münchenkammerspiele; 1918-19, worked as a conductor in Mannheim and Darmstadt; 1924, founded the Güntherschule for Music and Dance; 1930-33, conductor of the Munich Bach Society

Best known for: wildly popular Carmina Burana, though his compositions in other styles and genres are equally masterful; also similarly esteemed as a remarkable visionary in the field of music education; designed a wide range of “Orff instruments” which allowed children with no musical training to perform music; many of his pioneering methods are still in practice today

Notable compositions: Lieder for tenor and piano, 1911 Carmina Burana, scenic cantata, 1935–36 Der Mond, opera, 1936–38 Antigonae, opera, 1941–49 Orff-Schulwerk: Musik für Kinder (5 volumes) De temporum fine comoedia, 1962–72

Quote: "With Carmina Burana, my collected works begin."