Carl Orff (1895-1982) was a German composer and music educator, born and died in Munich. His 1937 cantata Carmina Burana - set to 24 medieval Latin poems and opening with the thunderous "O Fortuna" - became one of the most performed choral works of the 20th century and a fixture of popular culture. As a pedagogue, he developed the Orff Schulwerk, a widely adopted method of music education for children built on rhythm, movement and elemental musical forms.
Carmina Burana received its Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in November 2025, conducted by Enrique Mazzola, in three performances described by critics as a "superb" and "stunning" reading.
The Hungarian State Opera staged a new production of Carmina Burana in Budapest from February 2026, featuring a 120-strong chorus, 3D projections and dancers from the Hungarian National Ballet.
Carmina Burana was performed at the Arena di Verona in April 2026 as part of the Arena Opera Festival.
The Orff-Zentrum München, the Bavarian state institute dedicated to Orff's legacy, continued its 2026 programme of concerts and events in May 2026.
Carl Orff's monumental cantata "Carmina Burana" performed open-air at the historic Serenadenhof in Nürnberg.
Classical concert featuring Carmina Burana and Bolero at Philharmonie Essen.
A spectacular staging of Carl Orff's classical masterpiece "Carmina Burana" in one of Europe's most beautiful concert halls.
