Otto Hofmann, 1918-2001.

Otto Hofmann was born in Kyle, Texas, on December 9, 1918, and was a student at the University of Texas at Austin from 1936 to 1942. In 1948, he established his own organ business, and in 1956, built his first mechanical-action organ for Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church in Albany, Texas, in conjunction with the famed Dutch organ builder Dirk A. Flentrop. This instrument and his subsequent organs were based on the principles of the Orgelbewegung. His greatest period of activity was during the 1960s and 1970, when he built many instruments, mostly in Texas. He also served a term as president of the International Society of Organbuilders. He died in Austin on May 12, 2001.