Thaddäus Dorsch is a contemporary classical composer, born 1966 in Munich, Germany. His music is allocated in between post-minimalism, archaic church music and the current new Nordic style. His vision of music being always sacred is reflected in numerous works for choirs and vocal ensembles, chamber music and orchestra, and for theatre and film.
Thaddäus Dorsch lives in Landsberg am Lech, a small historic town in Bavaria near Munich and the German Alps. He started his music studies in various instruments, singing and composition at the Music School Landsberg. He gained musical experience as a violin and viola player, baritone singer and conductor. He initially studied composition autodidactically, later in courses and workshops with renowned composers and conductors like Eric Whitacre and Stephen Melillo (USA), Karl Zepnik (Germany), Martin Ellerby (GB) and Ferrer Ferran (Spain).
Thaddäus Dorsch has twice been awarded the Cultural Promotion Prize of the City of Landsberg am Lech. He has been commissioned with choral works for the German Youth Chamber Choir, for the German Choir Festival and several choir competitions.
Curriculum Vitae
1966
Born in Munich, Germany, Mozart Street, 16.
1975 – 1990
Musical education in different instruments, singing, choir, conducting and music theory at the Music School Landsberg.
1984/85
First compositions for chamber ensemble.
1990 -1995
Co-founder of the 7-men a-cappella ensemble “Landsberger Heulbojen”, national performances and concerts. Arrangements for male vocal ensemble.
1987 – 1995
Autodidactic studies of composition.
1991
Cultural Promotion Prize of the city of Landsberg am Lech, as a member of the Vocalensemble Landsberg.
1996 – 2005
Compositions for choir, international performances by the Vocalensemble Landsberg.
1996
With the “Psalm 19” (op. 8) as a part of the competition program the Vocalensemble Landsberg wins the international Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Choir Competition in Dautphetal, Germany. “Psalm 19” receives the highest score.
1997
Cultural Promotion Prize of the city of Landsberg am Lech for composition.
2000 – 2004
Artistic director of the biennial festival “Lichternacht” Landsberg,
2001
Commissioned for “Moon” (op. 15) for the German Youth Chamber Choir for the Days of New Choral Music, Würzburg (Tage neuer Chormusik Würzburg).
2003
Commissioned for “Heaven” (op. 18) for the German Youth Chamber Choir. Premiere at the German Choir Festival Berlin 2003.
2003
Music for the modern mystery theatre “Die Narrheit Gottes” (“The Folly of God”), op. 19. Commissioned for the 100th anniversary of the monastery church of the Benedictine Archabbey of St. Ottilien.
2004/2005
Music for the film “Hinter meinem Schatten” by Michael Lauterbach, together with Michael Lauterbach.
2006
Commissioned for “Ora et Labora”, a traditional march for the 50th anniversary of the St. Ottilien School Wind Orchestra. Published on CD.
2007
Commissioned for “Lechklang” (op. 23) for the guitar ensemble “Capotaster” (for 6 acoustic guitars).
2015
World premiere of “Inkontinent” for 3 female voices SSA. Performances by “Trinitá”.
2017
World premiere “Verleih uns Frieden” (“Grant us Peace”, various languages) for 3 choirs (op. 13), by the choir of the parish church Landsberg am Lech, Director: Marianne Lösch.
2020/2022
Commissioned for a composition about the German folk song “Der Mond ist aufgegangen (“The moon has risen”), by the Landsberg Children’s Choir. Premiered at the German Choir Festival in Leipzig 2022, as a part of the choir competition for the category “Best world premiere of a folk song”, presented by the Landsberg Children’s Choir, Director: Marianne Lösch.
2023
“Wasser” (Water), a sacred piece for mixed choir and children’s choir, premiered by joined choirs of the town Landsberg am Lech.
2024 –
New projects in progress: “Blessed”, motette for double choir a cappella; “Spanish Impressions” for symphonic wind band, …
Member of:
DKV – German Composer Association – Deutscher Komponist:innenverband
FEM – Section in the DKV for serious, electronic, experimental, contemporary and new music – Fachgruppe für ernste, elektronische, experimentelle, zeitgenössische und Neue Musik
GEMA – Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights – Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte