Karl Stamitz (1745-1801) was a German composer known for his large musical output and contributions to the Mannheim style of composition. He was the son of Johann Stamitz, a Bohemian composer famous for his leadership of the court orchestra at Mannheim and the orchestral techniques that developed as a result. Karl Stamitz initially took music lessons from his father and later went on to study with his successor at the orchestra, Christian Cannabich. In 1762, he began employment with the court orchestra as a violinist and violist. He stayed there until 1770, when he moved to Paris.

In Paris, he worked as the court composer for the Duke of Noailles and a freelance performer. He often performed with his brother, Anton, at the concert series Concerts Spirituels, and frequently traveled through Europe as a virtuoso performer. He lived and performed for a while in London and the Netherlands before finally returning to Germany in 1785, where he continued to tour and search for more permanent work. While working as a performer, he produced numerous compositions, including fifty symphonies, and dozens of instrumental concertos and chamber pieces. Most well-known are his eleven clarinet concertos, which were written as a result of his collaboration with famous virtuoso clarinetist Joseph Beer, and his works for viola, particularly the Concerto in D Major, which is the first known composition to feature left-hand pizzicato. His works bore similarity to those of Haydn or Mozart and are enjoyed for their virtuosity and elegance.

Unfortunately, despite his connections and promise as a musician, Stamitz never found another permanent position after leaving Paris. With a family to support, he quickly went into debt, as he struggled to find consistent work. After giving up traveling, he and his family settled in the small town of Jena in Germany, where they lived an impoverished life. He died shortly after his wife in 1801. Despite the unfortunate end to his story, his legacy as an important Classical era composer lives on.