The Carl Orff Foundation was established by the composer Carl Orff (1895-1982) in his will. It is a non-profit private foundation under civil law and is based in Dießen am Ammersee, where Carl Orff lived from 1955 until his death. His home and his "work house", which contains his study, have been preserved in their original condition. The Carl Orff Foundation was established on 17 May 1984.»The foundation's purpose is to preserve Carl Orff's artistic and educational legacy and to safeguard and disseminate his intellectual and artistic heritage. It achieves this purpose in particular by securing the original pieces of the artistic legacy in its collection in perpetuity, promoting academic work on Carl Orff's oeuvre, promoting public understanding of Carl Orff's universal work and supporting its dissemination.«— § 2 of the statutes (as amended on 12 November 2007) —
The Carl Orff Foundation mourns the loss of Dr Peter Hanser-Strecker. We are deeply saddened by his passing.He guided the destiny of Schott Music for over 60 years. Schott Music was the publisher of Carl Orff's works throughout his lifetime.Peter Hanser-Strecker was not only Orff's publisher, but also a friend and confidant of the Orff family since childhood.After Orff's death, he was instrumental in establishing the Carl Orff Foundation. In doing so, he accompanied and preserved Carl Orff's musical and educational legacy in a unique way.Peter Hanser-Strecker was an important member of the foundation's board of trustees until November 2025.On the occasion of the opening of the new COMU Carl Orff Museum in autumn 2025, he was appointed honorary curator of the foundation in recognition of his extraordinary services. We are deeply saddened that he was unable to accept this honour in person for health reasons.With his passing, we have lost a wise advisor, a reliable companion and a person who was deeply committed to musical life worldwide. His work will live on in the foundation's activities and in the memory of Carl Orff.We miss him.
Liselotte Orff, the composer's widow, was appointed by her husband in his will as Chair of the Foundation for life. She performed this task with great dedication for almost 24 years and shaped the work of the Foundation. She was particularly committed to promoting the dissemination of Carl Orff's musical-dramatic works and the Orff Schulwerk throughout the " " world. Liselotte Orff was appointed Honorary Chairwoman in 2008 and passed away on 19 September 2012. She is buried in the Höhenfriedhof cemetery in the St. Georgen district of Dießen am Ammersee.
After studying German language and literature and politics, she began her career at the Bavarian State Opera. Following a break to raise her three children, she worked for an organiser of classical concerts for children and was managing director of the ODEON Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic's patron orchestra. She was then responsible for the artistic organisation and programming of the AMMERSEErenade classical music festival. She had been Secretary General of the Carl Orff Foundation since 2017 and was appointed Managing Director of the Foundation in June 2025.
Axel Linstädt is currently a member of the foundation's board of directors. From 2017 to May 2025, he served as managing director and prior to that was active on the board of trustees for ten years, at times as deputy chairman. Mr Linstädt is former head of the music department at Bayerischer Rundfunk, programme director at BR-Klassik and long-standing artistic director of the ARD International Music Competition. Since 2015, he has been a permanent member of the BR Broadcasting Council and, once again, of the programme advisory board of ARTE G.E.I.E. in Strasbourg.
Prof. Rainer Kotzian has been President of the Nuremberg University of Music since 1 October 2021. He is Chairman of the Association of Art Academies in Bavaria ( ) and a member of the Executive Board of the Rectors' Conference of German Music Academies.In 2010, he was appointed Professor of Elementary Music Education at the Nuremberg University of Music. He is also an author, editor and producer in the print and audio sectors and is considered an internationally renowned Orff Schulwerk specialist. In October 2022, he released his solo album "Can You Hear Me?!".
The Board of Trustees is responsible for supporting the work of the Executive Board,supervise it and assist in the fulfilment of its statutory tasks.
Herbert Kirsch was mayor of the market town of Dießen from 1996 to 2020. Even after stepping down from the mayor's office, he remains active in the district council as a member of the district committee.
In 2008, he was appointed to the Foundation's Board of Trustees by Liselotte Orff. He has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Carl Orff Foundation since 2017.
Author, festival director, musicologist. Musicologist, author and festival director. 1989–2022 Artistic Director of the Landshut Court Music Festival. Conception and implementation of the commemorative years in Bavaria for Richard Strauss (1999 and 2014), Werner Egk (2001) and Karl-Amadeus Hartmann (2005). First Chairman of the Bavarian Association of Musicians (2009–2017); member of the Presidium of the Bavarian Music Council (2011–2018). Since 2008, editor of the book series "Komponistinnen und Komponisten in Bayern" (Composers in Bavaria). Publications include the novels Der Venusmann, Das Traumelixier und Tanz auf der Brücke, biographies of Orlando di Lasso, Richard Strauss and Georg Friedrich Händel.
Thomas Rösch studied musicology, theatre studies and psychology in Munich and Los Angeles. He received his doctorate in 1999 with a thesis on the music in Carl Orff's Greek tragedies. From 1999 to 2002, he worked with Dr. Werner Thomas (Orff's friend and colleague and co-founder of Orff research) in Heidelberg. Since 2002, he has been director of the Orff Centre Munich, State Institute for Research and Documentation. He has held teaching positions at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich and the Mozarteum University Salzburg. Since 2008, he has been editor- of the Orff Centre's publications; he also devotes himself to his international lecturing activities.
Amy Stebbins works as an author and director at the intersection of music theatre and technology. Her work has been supported by the MacDowell Colony, the Fulbright Foundation and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, among others. She is currently a member of the selection committee for the Academy for Theatre and Digitality and teaches at the HfMT Hamburg and the Ruhr University Bochum. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of Chicago and a BA from Harvard University.
Thomas Sertl studied law in Salzburg and completed a master's degree in international business and intellectual property law at the University of Miami. After working in international music publishing and in management positions at ARTE Deutschland TV, he was managing director of AudioSoft International S.A. in Munich until 2001. He has been with Schott Music in Mainz since 2001, initially as legal advisor and, since 2015, as managing director of Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG. He is also involved in relevant committees in the music and media industry. Thomas Sertl plays the violin and clarinet.
Lawyer specialising in media law. Since 2000, he has held various legal positions at Bayerischer Rundfunk. Initially a consultant for copyright and programme law issues, he later became responsible for all legal matters relating to the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation's orchestras, including the newly founded CD label BR-KLASSIK. Since October 2021, he has been head of the Rights Management and Strategy department.In his free time, he is an enthusiastic amateur cellist.
Prof. Wilfried HillerLiselotte Orff († 19.09.2012)
Dr. Peter Hanser-Strecker († 22.01.2026)Prof. Dr. Reinhold Kreile († 30.08.2024)Dr. Gerhard Theissing († 02.01.2015)