Johann Christoph Pezel (also known as Petzold, or in Latinized form, Pecelius) was a German violinist, trumpeter, and composer born in 1639. He spent a significant part of his career in Leipzig from 1661 to 1681, with a brief interruption in 1672 when he entered an Augustinian monastery in Prague. However, he soon left the monastery to become a Protestant. Pezel later moved to Bautzen, where he continued his municipal employment as Stadtpfeifer and Stadtmusicus, similar to his role in Leipzig. He passed away in Bautzen on 13 October 1694 at the age of 55.

Pezel was renowned for his skills as a violinist and clarino trumpet player. Between 1669 and 1686, he published numerous collections of instrumental music, including "Musica vespertina lipsica" (1669), "Musicalische Seelenerquickungen" (1675), "Deliciae musicales, oder Lustmusik" (1678), and "Musica curiosa lipsiaca" (1686). He also composed some sacred vocal music and theoretical works. Pezel was influential in the development of instrumental forms and the style of orchestral writing during his time.