Johann Kaspar Kerll

Baroque German Composer and Organist

Johann Kaspar Kerll (1627–1693) was a notable Baroque composer and organist from the southern German tradition. Born in Adorf, Saxony, he became one of the most acclaimed composers of his time, with his career taking him to various parts of Europe. Kerll was a student of the famous Italian composer Giacomo Carissimi in Rome, which greatly influenced his compositional style. He served as court organist and composer in Vienna and later worked in Munich. His music was well-regarded by his contemporaries, and he was known for his keyboard works, which included toccatas, canzonas, and fugues, as well as for his sacred vocal music such as masses and motets.