Johann Bernhard Bach was born in
Erfurt,
Electorate of Mainz, in 1676, in the house named "Zu den drei Rosen" (The Three Roses) on Junkersand Street, and was baptized on 25 November 1676 in Erfurt's
Kaufmannskirche (Merchant's Church). He (like his younger brother Johann Christoph, born in 1685) received his early musical tuition from his father,
Johann Aegidius Bach. After attending the
Schola Mercatorum at Erfurt, he entered Erfurt's major secondary school at that time, the
Ratsgymnasium. As early as 1695, at the age of 18, he became the
organist at the Kaufmannskirche. In 1699, he moved to
Magdeburg where he was appointed organist for St Catharine's Church. In 1703,
John William III, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach called him to
Eisenach to serve as
harpsichordist at the ducal court. In Eisenach, he also became the organist at St George's Church, succeeding his uncle
Johann Christoph Bach. From 1708 to 1712, Johann Bernhard Bach worked together with
Georg Philipp Telemann who held, first, the position of the leader of the violin section, and, from August 1709, that of a
conductor (
Kapellmeister) at Eisenach's ducal orchestra. On 6 August 1716, Johann Bernhard Bach married Johanna Sophia Siefer. Three children were born into the family. In 1741, the ducal orchestra was dissolved, which meant that Johann Bernhard continued to work exclusively as choirmaster and organist, until his death, apparently still receiving the ducal allowance of 100 Thalers per year. Johann Bernhard kept a life-long friendship with his famous cousin
Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1715, he acted as godfather for Johann Sebastian's son Johann Gottfried Bernhard, whilst Johann Sebastian became godfather to Johann Bernhard's eldest son
Johann Ernst in 1722. This latter was to succeed his father Johann Bernhard as organist at St George's Church in Eisenach. Bach died in 1749 at the age of 73 ==Work==