About Carl Stamitz

Karel Stamic (May 7, 1745 - November 9, 1801), who took the German form of his name Karl Stamitz and is now better known as Carl, was a Bohemian composer, violin, viola and viola d'amore virtuoso. He was the most prominent of the second generation of the so-called Mannheim school. Stamitz was born in Mannheim and was first taught music by Johann Stamitz, his father and founder of the Mannheim school. He played in the orchestra at Mannheim from 1762 and in 1770 moved to Paris where he became known as a violinist. He later lived in a number of places, including Prague and London. Stamitz wrote over fifty symphonies and about as many concertos for various instruments, as well as a quantity of chamber music. His viola concerto and his first string quartets were first published in 1774.