Alfred Sittard (* November 4 1878 in Stuttgart , † March 31 1942 in Berlin ) was a German choirmaster , composer of church music and one of the greatest organists of his time.
Sittard was a pupil of his father, music educator and musicologist Josef Sittard (1846-1903), and the Hamburg Petri cantor Wilhelm Koehler Wümbach (1858-1926) and the Petri organist Carl Armbrust (1849-1896).
1896, after the untimely death Armbrusts, he took over as yet Primaner of Johanneums whose term of office. From 1897 to 1901 Sittard studied at the Conservatory of Cologne at Friedrich Wilhelm Franke . In 1902 he was awarded the Mendelssohn Prize awarded. In 1903 he became organist of the Cross Church in Dresden , in 1912 then organist at the just rebuilt church St. Michaelis in Hamburg, then the largest church organ by Walcker . He founded the choir at the Michaelis Church. 1925 he was appointed as a professor at the Berlin Academy of Music. From 1933 he was also the director of the State and the cathedral choir Berlin .
On April 1, 1942 he wanted to switch to retire, but died unexpectedly on his last working day.
There are numerous recordings of Sittard on shellac records and music rolls for the Philharmonic organs of the company M. Welte & Söhne . His name is the founded in 1974, Sittard Foundation, which also awards scholarships to underprivileged organ students at the University of the Arts held in memory. His grave (family grave) is at the Hamburg Cemetery Ohlsdorf . (Hide extended text)...(Read all) Source : Wikipedia