Fischer, Johann Christian

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Fischer, Johann Christian

Fischer, Johann Christian, German oboist and

composer; b. Freiburg, 1733; d. London (buried), May 3, 1800. He studied oboe in Turin with Alessandro Besozzi. After playing in the Dresden Court Orch. and at the court of Friedrich the Great in Potsdam, he toured extensively. In 1768 he settled in London, where he often played in the Bach-Abel Concerts until 1782. After a Viennese sojourn (1787–90?), he returned to London. He was fatally stricken with a stroke while performing before the royal family. His publ. works include 10 concertos for oboe or flute (London, c. 1768–95) and 10 flute sonatas (London, c. 1780). A minuet from his first oboe concerto proved highly popular, so much so that Mozart wrote a set of keyboard variations on it.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire