Johann Sebastian Bach, born on March 21 (March 31, New Style), 1685, in Eisenach, Thuringia, was a German composer and musician of the Baroque era, renowned for his profound influence on the development of Western music. A member of a distinguished family of musicians, Bach was the most celebrated figure among them, known for his mastery in counterpoint, harmonic organization, and adaptation of musical forms and styles from Italy and France.

Bach's early life was marked by tragedy; he was orphaned at the age of 10 and subsequently lived with his elder brother Johann Christoph, who provided him with further musical education. Bach's career began with various organist positions, notably at the New Church in Arnstadt and the Church of St. Blaise in Mühlhausen. His exceptional skill as an organist and composer earned him a position at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar, where he composed some of his most famous organ works, including the "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor."

In 1723, Bach became the Thomaskantor in Leipzig, where he composed music for the city's principal Lutheran churches and its university's student ensemble, Collegium Musicum. His tenure in Leipzig was marked by the creation of significant works such as the "Mass in B Minor," the "Brandenburg Concertos," and "The Well-Tempered Clavier." Despite difficult relations with his employers, Bach's reputation as a composer grew, and he was granted the title of court composer by Augustus III of Poland in 1736.

Bach's compositions, characterized by their complexity and innovation, include hundreds of cantatas, both sacred and secular, as well as instrumental works like the cello suites and the Goldberg Variations. He enriched established German styles and integrated elements from various national traditions, leaving a lasting legacy on the music world.

Bach died on July 28, 1750, in Leipzig, after complications from a failed eye surgery. He had 20 children with his two wives, Maria Barbara and Anna Magdalena, four of whom—Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Johann Christoph Friedrich, and Johann Christian—became notable composers in their own right. Today, Johann Sebastian Bach is celebrated as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.