Franz Joseph Clement was an Austrian violinist, pianist, composer, conductor of Vienna's Theater an der Wien and friend of Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven became acquainted with Clement in 1794 when he attended a performance in Vienna by the prodigy, then just 14. It was at Theater an der Wien's benefit concert of April 7, 1805 that Beethoven first publicly conducted his Eroica symphony. At the same performance, Clement premiered his own violin concerto in D Major, one of Clement's six known violin concertos. Clement went on to commission Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major from his friend for the next benefit concert, given on December 23, 1806. It is said that Beethoven worked on it up until shortly before the performance, and that Clement played the piece without rehearsing.