Christian Gottlob Neefe (1748-1798) - today mainly known as teacher of the young Beethoven - was a respected composer of German "Lied" and comic opera ("Singspiel"). Influenced and promoted by Johann Adam Hiller (1728-1804) in Leipzig Neefe came 1779 to Bonn to become musical director of the "Nationaltheater" und court organist 1782..

Beethoven studied with Neefe from 1779/80 keyboards, organ, figuered bass and composition (learning e.g. Johann Sebastian Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier"). Beethoven substituted Neefe already as teenager at organ and cembalo.

Neefe was a well known freemason and presided the Lodge of Bonn for long time. His Masonic brother Nikolaus Simrock, member of the court orchestra, began 1793 his business as music editor and ordered from Neefe several vocal scores of popular operas (Mozart, Paisiello, Soler).