Famous 18th Century Musicians
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Find out more about the greatest 18th Century Musicians, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, George Frideric Handel and Franz Schubert.
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Birthdate: January 27, 1756
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791
A child prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is regarded as one of the greatest classical composers ever. A prolific composer, he had a profound influence on Western music. Many of his works are considered pinnacles of choral, symphonic, operatic, chamber, and concertante music. Before his death, at the age of 35, he had composed over 600 works.
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Ludwig van Beethoven(One of the Most Admired Composers and Pianists in the History of Western Music)
Birthdate: December 17, 1770
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany
Died: March 26, 1827
German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music even two centuries after his death. Born into a musical family, he was initially tutored by his father. He found success early as a pianist and went on to become an admired composer despite suffering from hearing-impairment.
Birthdate: March 31, 1685
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750
Johann Sebastian Bach was an 18-th century German composer of the Baroque period. He redefined both church and secular music. He served as the court musician of Duke Johann Ernst and King Augustus III. He created more than 300 cantatas and vocal music such as Mass in B minor.
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Antonio Lucio Vivaldi(Baroque Composer & Virtuoso Violinist Known for His Violin Concertos 'The Four Seasons')
Birthdate: March 4, 1678
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Venice, Italy
Died: July 28, 1741
Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, and teacher, Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, is regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers. He was extremely popular during his lifetime and composed many instrumental concertos and operas. He was also a Roman Catholic priest and worked at a home for abandoned children. Even though he died in 1741, his music continues to be popular.
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George Frideric Handel(German-British Composer Known for His Works: ‘Water Music’ and ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’)
Birthdate: February 23, 1685
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Halle (Saale), Germany
Died: April 14, 1759
George Frideric Handel was a Baroque composer renowned for his oratorios, operas, anthems, and organ concertos. A great composer, Handel's works had a strong influence on popular Classical-era composers like Beethoven and Mozart. George Frideric Handel's life and work have also inspired several films, such as the 1942 British biographical film The Great Mr. Handel.
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Joseph Haydn(Composer of the Classical Period Known As 'Father of the Symphony' & 'Father of the String Quartet')
Birthdate: March 31, 1732
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Rohrau, Austria
Died: May 31, 1809
Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer who played a key role in the progression of chamber music during the Classical period. He is often referred to as the Father of the String Quartet and Father of the Symphony for his contributions to musical form. Joseph Haydn is also credited with mentoring and tutoring Mozart and Beethoven, respectively.
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Niccolo Paganini(Italian Violinist and Composer Best Known for His Work '24 Caprices for Solo Violin Op. 1')
Birthdate: October 27, 1782
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Genoa
Died: May 27, 1840
Italian multi-instrumentalist and composer Niccolò Paganini established himself as one of the key figures of modern violin technique. Son of a trader-turned-street musician, he started his stint with music by learning to play the mandolin. Some of his most celebrated compositions were the 24 Caprices for Solo Violin Op. 1.
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Antonio Salieri
(Italian Classical Composer, Conductor, and Teacher)
Birthdate: August 18, 1750
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Legnago, Italy
Died: May 7, 1825
Antonio Salieri was an Italian classical composer, conductor, and teacher considered a key figure in the development of late 18th-century opera. He was a protégé of eminent composer Christoph Willibald Gluck. For several years, he served as the director of the Italian opera by the Habsburg court. His works were performed widely across Europe during his lifetime.
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Johann Pachelbel(One of the Most Influential Composers and Organists of the Middle Baroque Era)
Birthdate: 1653 AD
Birthplace: Nuremberg, Germany
Died: March 7, 1706
Johann Pachelbel was a German composer, teacher, and organist who is credited with helping the south German organ schools achieve their peak. His contributions to the progression of the fugue and chorale prelude have established him as one of the most prominent composers of the middle Baroque era. During his lifetime, his music became a model for several German composers.
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William Herschel(Astronomer Known for His Discovery of 'Uranus' and 'Infrared Radiation')
Birthdate: November 15, 1738
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Hanover, Germany
Died: August 23, 1822
William Herschel was a German-born British astronomer and composer. He pioneered the use of astronomical spectrophotometry and discovered infrared radiation. Impressed by his work, King George III appointed him the Court Astronomer. Herschel often collaborated with his sister, Caroline Lucretia Herschel, a fellow astronomer. In 1816, he was made a Knight of the Royal Guelphic Order.
Birthdate: January 24, 1776
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Königsberg, Germany
Died: June 25, 1822
E. T. A. Hoffmann was a German author, jurist, artist, composer, and music critic. His stories served as an inspiration and laid the foundation for The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach. The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is also based on Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Hoffmann is among the most influential authors of the Romantic Movement.
Birthdate: October 26, 1685
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Died: July 23, 1757
Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti was no stranger to music, being the son of famous composer Alessandro Scarlatti. From being the official composer for the queen of Poland, to teaching music to the princess of Spain and creating 555 keyboard sonatas, the legendary harpsichordist had an illustrious life.
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Maria Anna Mozart
(Musician)
Birthdate: July 30, 1751
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Salzburg, Austria
Died: October 29, 1829
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Thomas Moore(Irish Poet and Singer Known for His Lyrics to the Popular Song ‘The Last Rose of Summer’)
Birthdate: May 28, 1779
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: March 25, 1852
Irish author Thomas Moore was chiefly branded a Whig ally. It is believed he had a role in burning the memoirs of his friend Lord Byron, an act now considered a literary crime. His iconic Irish Melodies contained his most popular works, such as The Last Rose of Summer.
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Leopold Mozart
(German Composer, Violinist and Theorist Best Known as the Father and Teacher of 'Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart')
Birthdate: November 14, 1719
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Augsburg, Germany
Died: May 28, 1787
German violinist and composer Leopold Mozart is best remembered as the father and music teacher of legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, Leopold was often blamed for exploiting his son’s musical talent by pushing him to perform as a child. He also had a troubled relationship with his adult son.
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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
(Musician)
Birthdate: March 8, 1714
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Weimar, Germany
Died: December 14, 1788
Birthdate: July 2, 1714
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Erasbach, Germany
Died: November 15, 1787
Composer Christoph Willibald Gluck left home when his father went against his passion for music and pushed him into forestry. He then reached Milan, where he learned Italian instrumental music and later fused Italian and French opera music. His best-known works include Orfeo ed Euridice and La rencontre imprévue.
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Arcangelo Corelli(Italian Violinist and Composer of Baroque Era Known for His Sonata and Concerto Compositions)
Birthdate: February 17, 1653
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Fusignano, Italy
Died: January 8, 1713
Italian composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli is regarded as a pioneer of the concerto grosso and the sonata. Named after his father who died 5 months before his birth, Corelli rose to be a major figure of Baroque music and became a favorite of priests and the royalty.
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Johann Christian Bach
(Composer)
Birthdate: September 5, 1735
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Leipzig, Germany
Died: January 1, 1782
Birthdate: September 25, 1683
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dijon, France
Died: September 12, 1764
One of the greatest French opera composers and music theorists of all time, Jean-Philippe Rameau enriched the late Baroque period with his harpsichord pieces. His organist father wanted him to pursue law, but Rameau wasn’t academically bright and had poor grammar, which made Rameau travel to Italy to study music.
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Georg Philipp Telemann
(Composer)
Birthdate: March 14, 1681
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Magdeburg, Germany
Died: June 25, 1767
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Carl Maria von Weber
(A Significant Composer of the Romantic Era & Crucial Figure in the Development of German 'Romantische Oper')
Birthdate: November 18, 1786
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Eutin, Germany
Died: June 5, 1826
Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and conductor. A significant musical figure in the Romantic era, he played a key role in the development of the German Romantische Oper (German Romantic opera). He also made significant contributions to vocal and choral music. He was a music critic as well and wrote music journalism.
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Luigi Boccherini
(Italian Composer and Cellist of the Classical Era)
Birthdate: February 19, 1743
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lucca, Italy
Died: May 28, 1805
Italian-Spanish composer and cellist Luigi Boccherini of Classical era is noted for his influence in developing string quartet as a musical genre. Two of his best-known works include String Quintet in E major, Op. 11, No. 5 (G 275) that became famous for its minuet third movement; and Cello Concerto, No. 9 in B-flat Major, G. 482.
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Johann van Beethoven
(Musician)
Birthdate: November 14, 1740
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany
Died: December 18, 1792
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Chevalier de Saint-Georges
(Known as the first classical composer of African descent)
Birthdate: December 25, 1745
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Baillif, Guadeloupe
Died: June 10, 1799
Birthdate: June 26, 1893
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lake Dick, Arkansas, United States
Died: August 15, 1958
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Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
(Composer)
Birthdate: January 4, 1710
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Iesi, Italy
Died: March 16, 1736
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Ignatius Sancho
(Composer, Writer)
Birthdate: 1729 AD
Birthplace: Atlantic Ocean
Died: December 14, 1780
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Giuseppe Tartini(Italian Composer of the Baroque Era Known for His Violin Sonata in G Minor)
Birthdate: April 8, 1692
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Piran, Slovenia
Died: February 26, 1770
Italian violinist Giuseppe Tartini initially studied and also established himself as a skilled fencer. Arrested for marrying an acquaintance of the archbishop of Padua, he fled to a monastery in Assisi, where he got addicted to music, later inventing the difference tone and a theory of harmony.
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Johann Nepomuk Hummel
(Composer and virtuoso pianist)
Birthdate: November 14, 1778
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bratislava, Slovakia
Died: October 17, 1837
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Muzio Clementi
(Italian Virtuoso Pianist and Composer Who Developed a Technical Legato Style)
Birthdate: January 23, 1752
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: March 10, 1832
Muzio Clementi was an Italian virtuoso pianist, composer, conductor, music publisher, editor, pedagogue, and piano manufacturer. He developed a technical legato style and then passed it on to a generation of musicians, including Johann Baptist Cramer, John Field, and Friedrich Kalkbrenner among others. Muzio Clementi also influenced world-renowned musicians like Frédéric Chopin and Ludwig van Beethoven.
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John Field
(Pianist, composer and teacher.)
Birthdate: July 26, 1782
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dublin
Died: January 23, 1837
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Michael Haydn
(Composer of the Classical period, the younger brother of Joseph Haydn)
Birthdate: September 14, 1737
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rohrau, Austria
Died: August 10, 1806
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Alessandro Scarlatti
(Former Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas)
Birthdate: May 2, 1660
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Palermo, Italy
Died: October 22, 1725
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Johann Joseph Fux
(Composer)
Birthdate: 1660 AD
Birthplace: Langegg bei Graz, Austria
Died: February 13, 1741
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Luigi Cherubini
(Composer)
Birthdate: September 14, 1760
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: March 15, 1842
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Anna Magdalena Bach
(Former singer and the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach)
Birthdate: September 22, 1701
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Zeitz, Germany
Died: February 27, 1760
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Turlough O'Carolan
(Composer)
Birthdate: 1670 AD
Birthplace: Nobber, Ireland
Died: March 25, 1738
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Louis Spohr
(Former violinist, composer, and conductor whose compositions illustrate an early aspect of the Romantic period in German music)
Birthdate: April 5, 1784
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brunswick, Germany
Died: October 22, 1859
Birthdate: May 4, 1767
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Thiruvarur
Died: January 6, 1847
Birthdate: May 31, 1656
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: August 15, 1728
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Emanuel Schikaneder
(Impresario)
Birthdate: September 1, 1751
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Straubing, Germany
Died: September 21, 1812
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Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
(Composer)
Birthdate: November 22, 1710
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Weimar, Germany
Died: July 1, 1784
Birthdate: March 12, 1710
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London
Died: March 5, 1778
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François-André Danican Philidor
(Composer)
Birthdate: September 7, 1726
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dreux, France
Died: August 31, 1795
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Franz Xaver Süssmayr
(Composer)
Birthdate: July 22, 1766
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Schwanenstadt, Oberösterreich, Austria
Died: September 17, 1803
Birthdate: May 31, 1804
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: September 15, 1875
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Jan Dismas Zelenka
(Composer & Musician of the Baroque Period Known for His Extensive Composition 'Sub olea pacis et palma virtutis')
Birthdate: October 16, 1679
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Louňovice pod Blaníkem, Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire
Died: December 23, 1745
Composer-musician Jan Dismas Zelenka of Baroque period was known for his compositions that are characterized by adventurous compositional structure with an energetic harmonic invention and complex counterpoint. He achieved the feat of composing Sub olea pacis et palma virtutis for coronation of Charles VI as King of Bohemia and conducting it performance before the King shortly after the latter’s coronation.
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Johann Stamitz
(Bohemian Violinist and Composer who is Considered the Founding Father of 'The Mannheim School')
Birthdate: June 18, 1717
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Havlíčkův Brod, Czechia
Died: March 27, 1757
Johann Stamitz was a Bohemian violinist and composer. He is considered the founding father of the Mannheim school, of which his sons Carl and Anton Stamitz were students. Johann Stamitz is best remembered for his 10 orchestral trios and 58 symphonies.
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Mauro Giuliani
(Guitarist)
Birthdate: July 27, 1781
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bisceglie, Italy
Died: May 8, 1829