Fritz Lubrich
Fritz Lubrich was born on 26 January 1888 in Neustädtel (at that time German Reich, today called Nowe Miasteczko and belonging to Poland). His father Fritz Lubrich Sr. was a cantor and so well trained at the organ. Fritz Lubrich Jr. received an early musical education by his father and as a teenager he could replace him at the organ. After his schooldays Fritz Lubrich first completed the teacher qualification, but then enrolled at the conservatory in Leipzig. There he studied under Max Reger (composition) and Karl Straube (organ) between 1908 and 1911. At the end of his studies Fritz Lubrich submitted a violin sonata and a cantata to a composition competition arranged by the Leipzig conservatory. Fritz Lubrich won the competition and received the Arthur Nikisch State Award.
After his studies Fritz Lubrich first worked as a music teacher in Bielsko-Biala. In 1919 he was named choir master of the renowned "Meisterschen Gesangsverein" in Katowice. For the next 25 years Upper Silesia and especially Katowice became the home and domain of Fritz Lubrich. With the Meisterschen Gesangsverein he conducted the first Polish performances of Bach's Mass in B minor and Beethoven's Missa solemnis and toured with them through Germany. Between 1922 and 1939 Fritz Lubrich also worked as the organist of the Church of the Resurrection and between 1939 and 1945 as the director of the state music school both in Katowice.
After the end of World War II Fritz Lubrich had to flee from Katowice and found a new home in Hamburg. There he continued his work as a choir master and became head of the Hamburger Singakademie from 1948 to 1952. He also founded the Hamburg Chamber Choir and was head of choral and instrumental ensembles at the adult education centre till 1967.
Beside his work as a choir master and organist Fritz Lubrich also composed music. His work catalogue contains around 200 compositions, mainly organ works, choral music and songs.
Fritz Lubrich died on 15 April 1971 in Hamburg (Germany).
In my possession are two autograph manuscript by Fritz Lubrich. The two compositions are songs for voice and piano and titled "Spruch" on a text by Börries von Münchhausen (composed 1946) and "Kleine Pfingstmusik" on a text by Alfons Hayduk (composed in 1969).
