Biography.guide
Home › People › Composer › Joseph Abaco
Portrait of Joseph Abaco

Joseph Abaco

1710 – 1805

Belgian violoncellist, composer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Joseph Abaco

Lived 1710 – 1805 (aged 95). Joseph Abaco was a Belgian composer and cellist.

Joseph Abaco (full name Joseph (Giuseppe) Marie Clément Ferdinand dall'Abaco) (27 March 171031 August 1805) was an Italian violoncellist and composer. He was born and baptised in Brussels, the capital of the Spanish Netherlands, on 27 March 1710, and was musically trained by his father, Evaristo Felice dall'Abaco.

At age nineteen Abaco entered into the service of the Prince-elector of Cologne at Bonn and played in the court chamber orchestra. He was appointed its music director in 1738. He traveled to England in 1740. In 1753 he moved to Verona, in the Republic of Venice, where he worked as a member of the Philharmonic Academy. In 1766 he was given the title of baron by Prince Maximilian of Bavaria.

Abaco wrote nearly 40 cello sonatas, the 11 Capricci for Violoncello Solo, and other works. Many of his compositions were written in an old-fashioned, Baroque style, despite himself living a very long life well into the Classical era.

Abaco died at his estate, Arbizzano di Valpolicella, Napoleonic Italy, near Verona, at the age of 95, on 31 August 1805. Capricci for solo cello, edited by Christian Bellisario, Daniele Bianchi and Andrea Friggi (The White Prince Edition, 2006).

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Giuseppe Clemente Dall'Abaco

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Joseph Abaco's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Joseph Abaco?

Belgian violoncellist, composer

When was Joseph Abaco born?

Joseph Abaco was born on 27 March 1710 in Brussels.

When did Joseph Abaco die?

Joseph Abaco died on 31 August 1805 in Arbizzano.

What was Joseph Abaco's occupation?

Joseph Abaco was a composer and cellist.

What nationality was Joseph Abaco?

Joseph Abaco was Belgian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Joseph Abaco

· Wikidata: Q1393945

· DBpedia: Joseph Dall'Abaco

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joseph Abaco. https://biography.guide/joseph-abaco/

MLA: "Joseph Abaco." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joseph-abaco/.

Chicago: "Joseph Abaco." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joseph-abaco/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:27 UTC