Käte van Tricht


Käte van Tricht, was a German organist, pianist, harpsichordist, and pedagogue.

Biography

Käte van Tricht was born in Berlin, Germany. She was raised in Bremen, where her mother encouraged her not only to take piano lessons, but also to join the Bremen Cathedral Choir at age eight. Van Tricht held her first position as organist at age 19 at the Alte Waller Kirche in Bremen, and in 1930 obtained master's degrees in piano and organ performance at Bremen Conservatory .
Through the support of Richard Liesche, Director of Music at Bremen Cathedral, Käte van Tricht was appointed Associate Organist at the Cathedral in 1933. From 1934 until 1937, she studied sacred music, piano performance and organ performance, as well as counterpoint at Leipzig Conservatory. During this time, she also frequently performed as a soprano soloist under the direction of Karl Straube.
In addition to her activities as Cathedral Organist in Bremen over a period of 41 years, Käte van Tricht launched a highly successful international career as an organ recitalist in the 1950s and made numerous recordings, both on LP and CD, at Bremen Cathedral and other venues. Following her retirement as Cathedral Organist in 1974, van Tricht was appointed as lecturer of music at Bremen University. In 1996, Käte van Tricht was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, First class. In July that year, she died at age 86 in Bremen.
Among her former students is the German organist Martin Welzel.

Discography