Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773) was a German composer and flautist. Orphaned at an early age, he was apprenticed to a related town musician in Merseburg. He then studied counterpoint with Zelenka and Fuchs in Vienna in 1717. He joined the Royal Polish Chapel in Dresden and Warsaw in 1718, first as an oboist and then as a flautist. From 1724-1727, he travelled to Italy, Paris and London on an electoral scholarship. Returning to his old position in Dresden, he played for Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia in 1728, who chose him as his teacher and appointed him as his musical confidant in Berlin after his accession to the throne in 1741.
Quantz wrote the first German flute school ‘Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte traversiere zu spielen’, which was authoritative until the 19th century and is particularly valuable to us today as a source for the performance practice of early music. Among other things, he composed flute concertos, chamber music with flute, solo and trio sonatas for flute and basso continuo, flute duets and trios.
