Felix Woyrsch

Felix Woyrsch (October 8, 1860 - March 20, 1944) was a German composer and choir director.

Woyrsch lived in Dresden and Hamburg while young, studying in the latter under Ernst August Heinrich Chevallier. He held posts as a conductor and organist in several German cities in the 1890s and 1900s. In 1917 he was elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts, and in 1936 he was given the Goethe Medal. [Helmut Wirth, "Felix Woyrsch". "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians" online.] He retired in 1937. His main influences included his friend Brahms as well as Bach, Palestrina, Lassus, and Heinrich Schutz.

His compositions include seven symphonies, five further works for orchestra, three operas, 100 songs, and a violin concerto. [ [http://www.p-w-g.de/woyrc_e.html Pfohl-Woyrsch-Society e.V.] ]

Selected works

Operas

*Der Pfarrer von Meudon (The Priest of Meudon) 1886
*Wikingerfahrt (Journey of the Vikings) 1896

Symphonies

*1st symphony in C minor, op. 52. 1908

Web sources