thumb|right|300px|adam hiller. johann adam hiller (25 december 1728, wendisch-ossig, saxony â 16 june 1804, leipzig) was a german composer, conductor and writer on music, regarded as the creator of the singspiel, an early form of german opera. in many of these operas he collaborated with the poet christian felix weiÃe. furthermore, hiller was a teacher who encouraged musical education for women, his pupils including elisabeth mara and corona schrÃ¶ter. he was kapellmeister of abel seyler's theatrical company, and became the first kapellmeister of leipzig gewandhaus. ==biography== by the death of his father in 1734, hiller was left dependent to a large extent on the charity of friends. he came from a musical family, and also learned the basics of music from a school master in his home town, wendisch-ossig. from 1740 to 1745, he was a student at the gymnasium in gÃ¶rlitz, where his fine soprano voice earned him free tuition. in 1746 he went to study at the famous kreuzschule in dresden. there he took keyboard and basso continuo lessons with gottfried august homilius. in 1751, he enrolled in the university of leipzig to study law, supporting himself by giving music lessons, and also by performing at concerts both on the flute and as a vocalist. hiller immersed himself in the rich musical life of the town, and gradually adopted music as his sole profession. he took an active role in the grosses concert, which was the leading concert undertaking in leipzig. during that time he wrote several symphonies, church cantatas, and arias, as well as a fragmentary singspiel entitled das orackle. hiller also published an essay on the mimesis of nature in music (abhandlung Ã¼ber die nachahmung der natur in der musik) in 1754. that year he got his first break when he became steward and tutor to the son of count brÃ¼hl in dresden. he accompanied the count to leipzig in 1758. he remained in that position until 1760 when health problems (depression) forced him to resign. it was during his stay there that he conceived the idea of reviving some subscription concerts, an attempt which ultimately led to the founding of the leipzig gewandhaus concerts of which he was the first conductor. back in leipzig, hiller became the director of the grosse concert, a position he held until 1771. that year he founded a singing school. four years later, hiller founded his own concert society, t
1728_births 1804_deaths German_composers German_conductors_(music) German_writers Leipzig_University_alumni People_educated_at_the_Kreuzschule People_from_Zgorzelec_County People_from_the_Electorate_of_Saxony Seyler_theatrical_company Thomaskantors