Described as “cinematic,” “surging,” and “lush,” John D. Gottsch’s musical language has been compared to “John Williams, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and the orchestral showpieces of Ottorino Respighi” (The Classical Review).

Gottsch, Composer-in-Residence for South Florida Symphony Orchestra, 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.

Gottsch now splits his time between Baltimore and Key West. He has been a lifelong composer and many 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 was performed in Boston on May 15, 2020.

His orchestral symphonic poem, Sunset, was premiered by South Florida Symphony Orchestra on March 5th, 7th and 8th in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Key West respectively. The work was conceived while at Mallory Square in Key West as a large crowd enjoyed the setting sun. The moment seemed to call for a musical fanfare. However, as the score was sketched, the fragile nature of the island and its vulnerability to the perils of climate change became abundantly clear.

The score is dedicated to Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso for her devotion to music and her love for the island where she was born and raised, Key West.

Gottsch’s orchestral symphonic poem, Princess Yurievskaya was to be premiered by South Florida Symphony Orchestra in November 2020, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is making its World Premiere on January 19, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, January 20 in Miami and January 22 in Key West