Johann Dubez

Austrian composer and virtuoso on several instruments: mandolin, guitar, harp, and zither (born 1828 in Vienna – died October 27, 1891 in Vienna) Dubez began his musical career playing the violin in the Josefstadt theater in Vienna. Later, he was employed by the Countess Jeanne Esterházy as harpist and chamber virtuoso. Apart from the violin, harp, guitar, and zither, he also played the melophone, a kind of accordion. Until 1873, he led the Dubez String Quartet. In 1875, Dubez became the first president of the newly established Vienna Zither Union; he also was made an honorary member of the Prague Zither Society. Dubez' best-known compositions are a harp solo, "Chanson Sans Paroles, No. 2" (i.e., "Song Without Words"), and a piece for guitar, "Fantaisie On Hungarian Themes."