Utz, Kurt

Organist

Born: 07.05.1901 in Bruck near Munich

died: 26.05.1974 in Marburg

Utz initially studied music privately with Carl Kittel (1874-1945) in Bayreuth and Arno Landmann (1887-1966) in Mannheim. In 1925, he continued his studies at the Leipzig Academy of Music with Thomaskantor Karl Straube (1873-1950).

After working in Prague and Mainz, Utz succeeded Friedrich Petersen as organist at the Marktkirche Wiesbaden in 1933. In 1938, he had the organ rebuilt a third time according to his plans in the spirit of the organ movement ("back to the Baroque!"). Utz continued the tradition of the "Wednesday Concerts", now "organized on behalf of the entire church community by church music director Kurt Utz, organist of the Marktkirche". His concert programs continued to focus on the works of Bach and Max Reger.

With the beginning of the war in 1939, the Bach Choir founded by Friedrich Petersen in 1920 had to cease its activities. Utz then formed a full choir from all the singers still available from all the Protestant church choirs in Wiesbaden, with which he gave remarkable performances during the war and in the first years after the war. Utz also held the position of Kurhaus organist until the destruction of the Sauer organ there on the night of February 2/3, 1945.

Even after his departure from Wiesbaden, he was still consulted as an expert in the planning of the new Steinmeyer organ in the Kurhaussaal. He played the inaugural concert here on 04.04.1954. In 1949, Utz was appointed university music director and lecturer at the University of Marburg. He also received a teaching position for music theory at the University of Giessen and was simultaneously cantor and organist at the Elisabethkirche in Marburg.