Karl von Ordóñez

Who was Karl von Ordóñez?

Karl von Ordoñez was one of a number of composers working in Vienna during the second half of the Eighteenth century. Ordonez was not a full-time professional musician. Most of his working life was spent in the employment of the Lower Austrian Regional Court and his musical activities were pursued in his spare time. Ordonez's choice of career was probably dictated by his social rank. As a member of the nobility, albeit of the lowest rank, he would have been aware that a professional musical career would not have befitted a man of his social standing.

Nothing has come to light concerning his general education. However, as a member of the lower classes of the nobility, he may have attended a Ritterakademie, a boarding school for the nobility, and considering his legal career, may have gone on to study law at the University of Vienna in preparation for entry to the civil service. Of his musical training we also know nothing although from his contemporary reputation as a violinist it can be inferred that he received lessons from an early age.

Ordonez's professional activities included membership of two prestigious performing bodies: the k.k.