Johann Sebastian Bach (* March 21 / March 31, 1685 in Eisenach, Saxony-Eisenach; † July 28, 1750 in Leipzig, Electoral Saxony) was a German composer, cantor, court concertmaster, violinist and organ and harpsichord virtuoso of the Baroque era Thuringia. In his main creative period he was Thomaskantor in Leipzig. He is the most prominent representative of the Bach family of musicians and is today regarded as one of the best-known and most important musicians of all. He is often regarded as the greatest composer in music history, especially by professional musicians. His works influenced subsequent generations of composers and inspired musicians to create countless arrangements.
During his lifetime, Bach was highly regarded as a virtuoso, organist and organ inspector, but his compositions were only known to a relatively small circle. After Bach's death, his works fell into oblivion for decades and were rarely performed in public. After the composers of the Viennese classic period had dealt with parts of Bach's work, the Bach renaissance began in 1829 with the revival of the St Matthew Passion under the direction of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in the general public. Since the middle of the 19th century, his works have been part of the established repertoire of classical music worldwide.
His best-known works include The Well-Tempered Clavier, the St. Matthew Passion, The Art of Fugue, his Christmas Oratorio, the Brandenburg Concertos and many cantatas.
Source: Wikipedia