born Jan. 24, 1752, Rome, Papal States
died March 10, 1832, Evesham, Worcestershire, Eng.
Italian-born English pianist, composer, publisher, and manufacturer.
Taken to England at age 13 by a wealthy English traveler who had heard his organ playing, he pursued a rigid course of music studies for seven years while living on his patron's country estate. His keyboard playing and early sonatas gained him renown in London. In 1781 he and Wolfgang A. Mozart competed before the emperor, and he later toured extensively as conductor and pianist. In 1798 he restarted a successful music-publishing and piano-manufacturing firm. His piano pieces were highly influential, and he taught many leading pianists. His works include more than 100 piano sonatas and Gradus ad Parnassum , 3 vol. (1817–26), a popular pedagogical set of 100 diverse piano pieces.