Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel was born in Würzburg in 1750 and was a composer, pianist and court conductor. Sterkel left behind an enormous oeuvre with over 700 compositions. Aschaffenburg was one of his places of activity, where he was visited by the 21-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven in 1791, whom he impressed with his very light and extremely accomplished piano playing. Sterkel wrote the six duets for violin and viola in 1782.