Carl Stamitz, in full Carl Philipp Stamitz, (baptized May 8, 1745, Mannheim, Palatinate [Germany]—died Nov. 9, 1801, Jena, Saxony [Germany]), German composer of the last generation of Mannheim symphonists.
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Stamitz was the son of Johann Stamitz, the founder of the Mannheim school. He played violin in the court orchestra at Mannheim in 1762 and was also a viola and viola d’amore player there, before leaving for Paris in 1770. He spent several years in Paris (with his brother Anton, also a violinist and composer), then toured widely as a virtuoso after 1777, spending time in England and The Hague, where on one occasion he shared the stage with then 12-year-old Beethoven. In 1794 he became conductor of the orchestra at Jena; even with this position and despite his continued activity as a composer, he was unable to pay off his debts before his death. As a composer, he was the most productive of the Stamitz family; he wrote a large number of instrumental works, including symphonies; concerti and concertante works; and quartets, trios, and sonatas.