Childhood and Youth

• Born on July 10, 1895 in Munich
• Sister Maria (Mai) born 1898
• Descended from an old family of officers and academics
• Both grandfathers were major generals and were active in different academic fields
• Carl Von Orff-geodesy, mathematics and astronomy
• Karl Kostler-historian
• Regular(Father) who was an officer, played the piano and a variety of string instruments
• Paula(Mother) was a trained pianist
• She recognized and encouraged the musical talent of her son
• Began piano lesson at age 5, followed by cello tuition two years later
• Attempted to learn organ in 1900
• Records of visits to concerts and the theater go back to 1903
• At the piano, he discovered a wide spectrum of individual rhythmic and tonal activity and invention at an early stage.
• Developed the need to record his inventions which he had created at the piano.