Diether de la Motte

Full biography Diether de la Motte

Diether de la Motte was a renowned composer, musicologist, and author born on April 8, 1928, in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. He started his music studies as a child and was later trained in conducting, composition, and theory at the Frankfurt Conservatory. He was also fascinated with jazz and completed his PhD thesis on jazz harmony in 1958.

In 1959, de la Motte started teaching music theory and composition at the Frankfurt Conservatory, where he worked for many years until his retirement in 1991. During his career as an educator, he became a prominent figure in the field of music education in Germany and authored multiple influential books on music theory and composition.

Despite his success as an author and educator, de la Motte was also an incredibly talented composer who produced an extensive body of work, including symphonies, chamber music, vocal works, and electronic music. His music was often described as modernist, experimental, and avant-garde, and he was recognized as a pioneer in electronic and aleatoric music.

De la Motte received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field of music education and composition, including the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit) from the Federal Republic of Germany and the Goethe Medal from the Republic of Austria.

Diether de la Motte passed away on December 4, 2010, leaving behind a legacy of innovative music and scholarship.