Hoffmeister, Franz Anton (1754–1812)

Austrian music publisher and composer. Beethoven and Mozart were among his clients. The best known of his nine operas was Der Königssohn aus Ithaka (1803). Whether by accident or design, many of his works were ascribed to Haydn.

He started in Vienna as a law student but in 1783 established his publishing firm. With Kühnel in Leipzig he established a bureau which later became the publishing house C F Peters. He wrote 66 symphonies, about 60 concertos, including 25 for flute, 42 string quartets, and 18 string trios.