Jean-Baptiste Krumpholz 1747 – 1790

Biography

Jean-Baptiste Krumpholz was born on August 5, 1747, in Zlonice, a town in what is now the Czech Republic. He would become a distinguished musician of the late eighteenth century, establishing himself as both a skilled harpist and accomplished composer during a vibrant period in European musical history.

Though details of his early life remain limited, Krumpholz’s talent brought him to Paris, where he became an active member of the city’s musical community. As a harpist and composer, he contributed to the cultural life of one of Europe’s most important artistic centers, working during an era of significant musical innovation and development.

Krumpholz’s promising career was cut tragically short on February 19, 1790, when he drowned in Paris at the age of forty-two. His death marked the loss of a musician whose work helped shape the harp’s role in classical music during the late eighteenth century. Though his life was brief, his contributions to both the harp and composition endured as part of the musical heritage of his era.