Concerto for flute and orchestra in G Major

Friedrich Hartmann Graf (1727 - 1795) was a highly esteemed German flutist and composer of his time. He received his initial musical education from his father, Johann Graf, the Kapellmeister of Rudolstadt, and joined Dutch army regiment as a drummer. Upon returning from the army and imprisonment by the English he pursued his musical career as a flutist and conductor in Hamburg at the same time touring extensively throughout Europe.
In 1764 he was appointed the first flute position at the chapel of the stadtholder’s court in the Hague by his older brother, Christian Ernst Graf who was a Kapellmeister of William V, the Prince of Orange at that time.

Gradually Friedrich Graf became the music director at various Protestant churches, eventually becoming a cantor of St. Anna in Augsburg, Bavaria where he founded a civil society concert in 1779, actually becoming the town’s musical director. At one of these concerts W.A.Mozart was present and truly impressed by flute playing and improvisation abilities of Friedrich Hartmann. Even though he liked the Friedrich as a man, he was not impressed by his composer’s abilities, later writing to his father L. Mozart “The poor Fellow must have had plenty of trouble writing it all”. During his musical career he had mostly composed concertos for flute and cello as well as various chamber music works.