Johann Michael Malzat was an Austrian composer and choirmaster born in Vienna on April 21, 1749. He grew up in a musical family, with his father, Josef Malzat, being a violinist. Johann received his first musical lessons from his father alongside his brother Ignaz, who also became a composer. At a young age, Johann moved to Upper Austria to join the choir at Kremsmünster Abbey, where he trained as a chorister and a cellist. This early experience shaped his career in sacred music.

Throughout his life, Malzat worked at various abbeys and musical centres, including Lambach and Stams Abbey in the Tyrol. He taught music and created numerous compositions, including symphonies and concertos. His work was respected during his lifetime, and he was known as a “famous musician” in 1780. Malzat’s notable pieces include his Missa solemnis and a solemn Requiem. He passed away on May 13, 1787, but his contributions to classical music remain valuable to this day.