Graupner was first noticed to have a keen acumen for sight singing, observed by his teachers when he studied keyboard with Kustner at Reichenbach. The teachers at the Thomasschule which he attended included Schelle and Kuhnau. He moved to Hamburg where he met Telemann (who was a life-long friend) and Grunewald. It is here that Graupner was first employed as an opera harpsichordist. The presentation of five operas in Hamburg demonstrated the characteristics of his compositions that included his independent and dramatic instrumetnal writing. "Bellerophon" was especially successful illustrating a qualitative development of instrumental motifs, operas containing the gathering and combination of large scale forms, and the use of an obligato to achieve climactic effects. After Hamburg Graupner became the vice-Kapellmeister at Darmstadt, and later the Kappelmeister. While there he was in competition with J. S. Bach for the position of Kantor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. He declined the post and it was offered to Bach. The composition of his last opera occurred in 1719, and Graupner sucessfully turned to other genres. Needless to say he was an unusually prolific composer who set 1418 church cantatas, 24 secular cantatas, 113 symphonies (with an influence from Vivaldi and Scarlatti), 40 concertos (with wind solos), chamber music, and works for the harpsichord. ~ Keith Johnson