Biography
Johann Heinrich Zang (born April 15, 1733 in Zella St. Blasii ; † August 18, 1811 in Würzburg) was cantor in Mainstockheim near Kitzingen for over 50 years .
During this time he composed two complete years of church cantatas. Seven of these cantatas are still preserved and are now owned by the Bavarian State Library . He published a calligraphy , several handicraft books (The perfect organ maker and The perfect Büttner or Küfer) and left behind some music paintings.
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As the son of the white tanner master Joh. Georg Zang in Zella-St. Born Blasii , Zang learned the Latin and Greek languages at home. His artistic talent was already evident during his school days, and so, at the age of 15, he immigrated to Leipzig for two years , where he was in contact with the Thomaskantor Johann Sebastian Bach in 1748 and 1749 . He then went to Coburg , where he was a student of JK Heller, later chancellor at Banz Monastery and organist at Hohenstein Castle near Coburg.
In 1751 and 1752 he worked as a cantor in Walsdorf near Bamberg and from November 7, 1752 as a cantor and teacher in Mainstockheim .
Johann Heinrich Zang shaped musical life in Mainstockheim for almost 50 years from 1752 to 1801. He built up a musical choir, wrote numerous musical works and through his publications and works worked far beyond the small village as a scribe , artist and organ expert.
Johann Heinrich Zang died on August 18, 1811 in the Juliusspital in Würzburg.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.