“Gottsch’s skill at bringing out the varied colors of the orchestra is evident throughout the thirty-five minute composition which suggests Alexander Glazunov’s tuneful ballets”
— The South Florida Classical Review“Fanfares, surging gestures, ascending and descending figures, and lush orchestration suggest John Williams, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and the orchestral showpieces of Ottorino Respighi.”
— The Classical Review
Announcements/News:
- A commercial recording of John D. Gottsch’s chamber works, featuring Founders piano trio, Three Impromptus for cello and piano, Scenes from Lausanne for bassoon quarter, Six Bagatelles for violin and piano, and Maryland Hunt for piano quintet, released on Hänssler Classic on April 5, 2024.
- Florida Defenders of the Environment produced the documentary, “Ocklawaha: Tales My Father Told,” inspired by the symphonic poem by the same name composed by John Gottsch. Production began in January 2023 when FDE funded the video recording of the premiere of Gottsch’s work by the South Florida Symphony led by its music director, Sebrina Alfonso. To read more about it, click here.
- Producer and writer Steve Robitaille discusses the documentary, “Ocklawaha: Tales My Father Told,” on the Tell Me About It podcast, to be aired on PBS
Biography:
John D. Gottsch was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and shortly afterwards his family moved to Florida. He spent his youth in the lake country of Florida on the watch for alligators while swimming and always looking down in woods and swamps to avoid rattlesnakes and water moccasins. He traveled many of the rivers of the state which would begin in the back country and eventually empty into the Gulf or the Atlantic. These explorations of Florida gave him an enduring love for the beauty and wildlife of the state. Mr. Gottsch now splits his time between Baltimore and Key West. He has been a lifelong composer and a number of his compositions reflect his deep appreciation of the outdoors. His piano suite, Homosassa was premiered in Palm Beach (2020). His piano quintet, Maryland Hunt, was premiered at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington, D.C (2018) and has been performed in Philadelphia, Vienna, Rotterdam, and Baltimore. The work is dedicated to his daughter, Clare Brooks Gottsch. His Paris Trio (flute, viola, and double bass) was premiered at the Institut Pasteur, Paris (2019) and will be performed in Boston on May 15, 2020. A bassoon quartet will be premiered in Amsterdam on October 2, 2020.