Josef Mysliveček (9 March 1737 – 4 February 1781) was a prominent Czech composer who played a significant role in the development of late eighteenth-century classicism in music. Born in Prague to a prosperous mill-owning family, he initially pursued philosophy at Charles-Ferdinand University but eventually followed his passion for music. After achieving the rank of master miller in 1761, he decided to abandon the family business to study composition under Franz Habermann and Josef Seger in Prague, and later with Giovanni Pescetti in Venice.

Mysliveček became renowned in Italy, earning the nickname "Il Boemo" ("the Bohemian"), and was celebrated as one of the most sought-after opera composers in the country during the 1770s. His works, characterized by a pleasing lyricism, adhered to the conventions of opera seria, while his oratorios demonstrated a greater inclination to experiment. His instrumental compositions, including symphonies, concertos, octets, quartets, and trios, were equally popular.

A close friend and influence on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mysliveček provided significant compositional models for the young composer. Their friendship, however, ended in 1778 when Mysliveček failed to secure an operatic commission for Mozart at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Despite his success, Mysliveček's final years were marred by operatic failures, poverty, and illness. He died destitute in Rome in 1781. His adventurous life and contributions to music have been the subject of various fictionalized accounts, reflecting his enduring legacy in the world of classical music.