Johann Andreas Streicher

Who was Johann Andreas Streicher?

Johann Andreas Streicher was a German pianist, composer and piano maker. In 1793 he married Nannette Streicher, another piano maker and the daughter of Augsburg piano maker Johann Andreas Stein. In 1794 they moved to Vienna. From that time Streicher worked as a piano teacher and became increasingly known for his compositions. The Streicher piano-making business provided at least one fortepiano to Beethoven in his early years, of which the composer was fond, writing that it was "too good for me ... because it robs me of the freedom to produce my own tone".