J.S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach is justifiably considered one of the world's greatest classical composers. Born in 1685, Bach was trained by his father, a court trumpeter. Bach came from a long line of family musicians, including his great-grandfather, who was a well known professional violinist, while J.S. Bach's own children and grandchildren would carry on the musical tradition. Orphaned at the age of nine, Bach's singing voice earned him a position at a monastery. When his voice changed, Bach stayed at the monastery as an instrumentalist, first as a violinist and then as an organist. In fact, during his life, Bach was better known for his organ playing than his compositions. He later became the court organist for Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Sachsen-Weimar, during which time he wrote some of his most well-known music. In 1723, he became the Director Musices and Kantor of the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where he stayed until his death. The ultimate composer of German Baroque music, Bach's works include The Brandenburg Concertos, Well-Tempered Clavier, Art of the Fugue, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, St. John and St Matthew Passions, Goldberg Variations, and the Mass in B minor, which was one of his last compositions. In addition to church services, concert halls, and holiday celebrations, Bach's music is in over 207 feature films today. As Johannes Brahms wrote, "Study Bach: there you will find everything." J.S. Bach died in 1750.
