Christian Gottlob Höpner

Christian Gottlob Höpner, also Hoepner (7 November 1799 – 26 October 1859) was a German composer, organist and music educator. Life and career Born in Frankenberg, Höpner grew up in the family of a weaver in Frankenberg near Chemnitz, and he acquired his first musical knowledge by self-taught means. At the age of 14, he could already play the piano by listening to pianoforte lessons given by his older brother. At the age of 17, Höpner also wanted to learn to play the organ. He found the opportunity to do so after attending Sunday services by using the organ in the Frankenberg church. From the wages he received after his apprenticeship as a journeyman weaver, Höpner bought musical textbooks, practised independently on a small organ and attempted compositions. He presented these compositions in 1824 to the cantor August Ferdinand Anacker (1790–1854) in Freiberg for review. The verdict was so encouraging that in 1827 Höpner applied to the court conductor Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837) in Weimar, who advised him to devote himself entirely to music. Höpner moved to Dresden, where from 1827 he was professionally taught by Johann Gottlob Schneider junior (1789–1864) for four years, whe