João Domingos Bomtempo was born in Lisbon in 1771, the son of an Italian oboist, member of the orchestra of the Royal Court of Lisbon. He studied music in Lisbon’s Patriarchal Seminary, and in 1795, after his father’s death, he was appointed principal oboist of that orchestra. Unlike most Portuguese composers of the eighteenth century who went to Italy to pursue their musical studies, Bomtempo established himself in Paris in 1801. He was, certainly by nature as well as by education, a cosmopolitan personality, as may also be concluded by the fact that he was a free-mason. In Paris, and later in London, Bomtempo developed a brilliant career as a pianist and composer. A friend of Muzio Clementi, he absorbed the new pianistic style of this Italian composer, pedagogue and music publisher. The success of his public concerts led to the publication of his works by Leduc. After the first performance of his