As a student at Heidelberg University Othmayr was a member of the cantors. It is thought that he may have served as a composer for the Palatine court but it is definite that he served in Heilsbronn and Ansbach. His compositions included a number of vocal pieces both sacred and secular and his production exceeded two hundred and thirty compositions. He composed in every genre except the mass and his sacred pieces were clearly Lutheran. Othmayr employed the use of cantus firmus in the tenor voice in many of his works and the cantus firmus were interestingly taken from German folk tunes. Vocal compositions by Othmayr were scored for four and five parts. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi