Composers Corner: Johann Christian Bach

Johann Christian Bach (September 5, 1735 - January 1, 1782) was the youngest of 11 sons of the famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Although he was born in Germany, he was often called the "London Bach" or "English Bach" because he lived in London for much of his life. He was not as famous as his father or his older brother Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (C.P.E. Bach), but he was still a significant composer. He was one of the composers who changed music from the styles of the Baroque Period to the Classical Period. His music influenced Classical composers - especially Mozart.

After his father's death, J.C. Bach went to Berlin to study with C.P.E. Bach, who taught him about composition and keyboard playing. During this time, J.C. wrote several concertos and keyboard pieces.

When he was 20, he moved to Italy to study with Italian musicians. He became an organist at a cathedral in Milan and wrote lots of church music during this period. He also studied Italian opera and even composed his fist opera in 1760. In 1762, he went to London to perform three of his operas, and through his operas, he gained a new job as a music master for the English Queen Charlotte. This meant that he would teach her and her children music. Bach continued to write music and perform in London. He and a friend, Carl Frederic Abel (a composer), gave a series of popular concerts together. Bach ended up staying in London for the rest of his life.