Louis Spohr, born Ludewig Spohr on April 5, 1784, in Braunschweig, Germany, was a prominent German composer, violinist, and conductor. He was a significant figure in the early Romantic period of German music. Spohr was the eldest of seven children, and his early musical education was encouraged by his parents, with his mother being a talented singer and pianist, and his father playing the flute. He received his initial violin lessons from a village school teacher and later from a French emigrant named Dufour.

Spohr's early compositions began in the 1790s, and his talent was recognized by Duke Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand of Brunswick, who engaged him as a chamber musician at the age of 15. He studied violin with Franz Eck, who took him on a concert tour to Russia, and later became a prominent heir of the Mannheim school of violin technique. Spohr's first notable compositions, including his Violin Concerto No. 1, emerged during this period.

In 1805, Spohr became concertmaster at the court of Gotha, where he met and married harpist and pianist Dorette Scheidler. They performed together successfully until Dorette retired to focus on their family. Spohr practiced with Beethoven in 1808 and held various conducting positions, including at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna and the opera in Frankfurt.

Spohr's compositions include ten symphonies, ten operas, and numerous concerti and chamber works. He invented the violin chinrest and orchestral rehearsal mark. Although his music fell into obscurity after his death on October 22, 1859, in Kassel, there was a modest revival of interest in the late 20th century. Spohr was known for his political radicalism and admiration for Richard Wagner's music, conducting works like The Flying Dutchman and Tannhäuser. His most successful symphony was the fourth, Die Weihe der Töne, and he was a prolific composer of violin concerti, string quartets, and operas like Faust and Jessonda.