Franz Lehrndorfer

Franz Lehrndorfer (10 August 1928 – 10 January 2013) was a German organist, composer, and pedagogue.

Franz Lehrndorfer was born in Salzburg and spent his youth in Kempten.

He received his first music lessons from his father, a choir director and musicologist and began to play the organ at age nine.

From 1948 until 1951, Lehrndorfer studied sacred music in Munich and obtained a master class diploma in organ performance in 1952.

Upon graduation, he worked as music instructor for the Regensburger Domspatzen, under music director Theobald Schrems.

In 1962, he began his teaching career at the Musikhochschule München, first as adjunct professor of organ, later (from 1969 until 1993) as professor and department chair of sacred music and organ performance.

As an organ consultant, Lehrndorfer was in charge of several major organ projects, such as the 1980 Georg Jann organ at Tegernsee Abbey, or the four organs at the Frauenkirche in Munich (1993/1994).

In 2001, he played the premiere of Genzmer's Concerto for organ, which he subsequently edited for Schott Music.

From 1969 until 31 October 2002, Lehrndorfer was organist at the Frauenkirche in Munich.

He left his cathedral appointment after major disagreements with the cathedral’s music director, Karl-Friedrich Nies.

Lehrndorfer focused on organ improvisations, both in concert and recordings.

As a performer, he often included music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Max Reger, as well as works by contemporary composers, such as Karl Höller and Harald Genzmer, in his programs.

On the occasion of Lehrndorfers 80th anniversary in 2008, more than 50 of his former students celebrated at the Musikhochschule Munich.

Franz Lehrndorfer died at age 84 in a hospital in Munich.

Many of Franz Lehrndorfer's former organ students became concert organists, obtained positions at important churches or faculty positions in Germany and abroad: