Nicolaus Bruhns (Nikolaus, Nicholas) (born in Schwabstedt in 1665 - died March 29, 1697) was a german baroque composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest organists and composers of his time. He studied with Dietrich Buxtehude, who regarded him as among the very best of his students.
Nicolaus Bruhns initially learned music from his father Paul Bruhns (1640-89?), who was the organist at Schwabstedt; he later studied composition and organ with Dietrich Buxtehude.
With Buxtehude's help, he received a post as violinist and composer at the court in Copenhagen, and in 1689 became the town organist in Husum, his last post before his tragic early death (sources disagree on whether he was 31 or 32 at the time).
Although primarily an organist, he had many musical talents; he was known for playing improvisations on the violin over a bass line played on the pedal board of the organ, and was one of the best composers of sacred cantatas of his era. He also composed chamber music, which is now unfortunately lost.
Johann Sebastian Bach's son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach later wrote to his father's biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel that his father had admired Bruhns' work. J.S. Bach's obituary stated that he studied and followed Bruhns' compositions, but showing this musically is not easy.
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