Originally engaged in the family milling business, Myslivecek began studying composition in the early 1760s. He traveled to Venice in 1763 and was made a member of the Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna in 1771 although he never held a fixed appointment. His compositions include more than two dozen mostly-successful operas, including Il Bellerofonte (Naples, 1767) and Ezio (Naples, 1775), as well as numerous oratorios, chamber works and approximately 55 symphonies. Mozart first met Mozart at Bologna in 1770; in 1777 he promised to arrange an opera commission for Wolfgang at Naples, which never materialized. Leopold came to distrust Myslivecek, writing to his son on 25 January 1778, `Myslivecek wrote again the other day to say he was hoping to receive shortly your scrittura from Naples. But I regard it as an excuse, for he only makes an announcement like this when he wants me to do something for him.` He also dissaproved Myslivecek`s lifestyle, which likely led to him contracting syphilis in the late 1770s. Mozart spoke well of Myslivecek`s music, describing his sonatas as `quite easy and pleasing to the ear` (letter of 13 November 1777). Lit.: Porta, Josef Myslivecek; Pecman, Josef Myslivecek; Nascimbene, Myslivecek e i Mozart a Bologna; Basso, I Mozart in Italia617-618