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German composer and music educator, renowned for his dramatic cantata 'Carmina Burana' and the influential Orff Schulwerk approach to music education.Born in Munich, Orff studied at the Munich Academy of Music. He gained international fame with the 1937 premiere of 'Carmina Burana', the first part of his 'Trionfi' trilogy. He dedicated much of his career to developing the Orff Schulwerk, a revolutionary method for teaching music to children emphasizing rhythm, movement, and improvisation using simple percussion instruments and voice. His compositional style is characterized by powerful rhythms, repetitive structures, modal harmonies, and the integration of text, movement, and theatre.

• Orff's relationship with the Nazi regime in Germany remains controversial. While 'Carmina Burana' was embraced by the Nazis for its perceived Germanic vigor, Orff claimed political neutrality and focused on his artistic and educational work. Post-war denazification tribunals accepted his claims, though historical debate persists.
• His most famous work, 'Carmina Burana', is based on medieval poems found in a Bavarian monastery. Its opening chorus, 'O Fortuna', has become ubiquitous in popular culture, featured in countless films, TV shows, and commercials.
• Orff deliberately suppressed most of his pre-'Carmina Burana' compositions, believing they didn't represent his mature style. This makes tracing his early development difficult.
• He dedicated immense energy to the Orff Schulwerk, collaborating with Gunild Keetman. This method revolutionized elementary music education globally, prioritizing active participation and creativity over traditional note-reading.
• Orff died of cancer in Munich at the age of 86. He is buried in the Baroque church of the brewery at Andechs Abbey, south of Munich.