Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was a German composer, organist, and violinist of the Baroque period. Trained within a family of musicians and later active in Arnstadt, Mühlhausen, Weimar, Köthen, and Leipzig, he produced a vast body of work spanning sacred vocal music, instrumental suites, concertos, organ works, and chamber music. His output includes the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Well-Tempered Clavier, the St Matthew Passion, and the Mass in B minor. Renowned for his mastery of counterpoint, harmony, and form, Bach integrated German traditions with Italian and French influences, shaping music for both liturgical and secular contexts. His legacy, revived in the 19th century, continues to define the canon of Western classical music.