Otto Nitze

Otto Nitze (born September 20, 1924 in Artern ; † May 8, 1988 in Idar-Oberstein ) was a German musician and composer who published essential compositions under the pseudonym Tom Dawitt.

biography

Nitze came from an old family of musicians. At the age of five he received his first violin lessons from his father, from the age of 7 with the 1st concertmaster of the Städtische Bühnen zu Erfurt, at the age of 9 he became a student of the director of the University of Music in Sondershausen , Professor Carl Corbach , and at the age of 10 became Nitze Attendance at the conservatory is permitted after a special permit ("Lex Nitze") has been granted.

He then attended the Musisches Gymnasium in Frankfurt / Main , where teachers were Professor Kurt Thomas , August Leopolder and Wolfgang Riehm . Nitze received art lessons from the Idar-Oberstein artist Max Rupp , who was a teacher at the Musisches Gymnasium. He completed his music studies as a qualified Kapellmeister. After the end of the war, at the age of 23, Nitze became the youngest band master and composer for drama music at the theater in Eisleben. As municipal music director, he ran the music school that his grandfather had founded and was also the director of a professional orchestra. In 1947 he moved to the West and worked here initially as a freelancer. In 1950 he took over the management of the Idar-Oberstein Musikverein in 1861, followed by other wind orchestras and choirs in the city and district.

In 1957 Nitze was the main initiator for the establishment of the youth harmony orchestra of the Idar-Oberstein Musikverein in 1861, which was also responsible for the establishment of further youth orchestras. In November 1961 he moved to Schramberg / Black Forest as municipal music director and teacher at the University Institute for Music in Trossingen. In 1965 Nitze returned to Idar-Oberstein to rebuild and revitalize the musical youth work. In 1967 Nitze founded the municipal school for young players, followed in 1968 by the establishment of the Birkenfeld district youth orchestra, based in Idar-Oberstein.

The aim of both orchestras and Nitze's particular concern was intensive musical youth development and youth work. Nitze achieved great successes in national and international music competitions, especially with the district youth orchestra, and toured many European countries, Israel, the USA and Canada with this orchestra. Nitze directed both orchestras until his death in 1988. Otto Nitze had been married to Lilli, born in 1951, since 1951. Elges. There is a daughter from the marriage.

Nitze, who has been a full-time music teacher at the Idar-Oberstein secondary school since 1968, was a member of the culture committee of the city of Idar-Oberstein, the Birkenfeld district music association (district music association conductor), the state music advisory board and at the federal level as a judge. He received the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the golden badge of honor of the city of Idar-Oberstein, the coat of arms of the city of Idar-Oberstein and the district of Birkenfeld, the Peter-Cornelius plaque of the state government for his services to music and youth work as well as his artistic activity of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Croix de Mérite de la Confédération Internationale des Sociétés Musicales, the federal sponsorship medal in silver and gold of the Federation of German Wind and Folk Music Associations and that of the State Music Association of Rhineland-Palatinate , the conductor's badge of honor in silver and gold and the Golden City Hall Man of the City of Vienna. To this day he is the only honorary conductor of the Musikverein 1861 Idar-Oberstein .

Otto Nitze was also very successful as a composer. As early as 1965 he received first prize for his work Prolog for symphonic wind orchestra. In 1979 Nitze composed the national anthem Viva la musica of the State Music Association of Rhineland-Palatinate for the first regional music festival in Rhineland-Palatinate. His composition Leuchtender Tag was played at the papal reception of Pope John Paul II in Altötting in 1980 .