Pichl was born in
Bechyně in
Bohemia. His first musical training was at Bechyně with the cantor Jan Pokorný. He served as a singer between the years 1752 and 1758 at the
Jesuit college at
Březnice. In
Prague, he was a violinist at the Jesuit seminary of
Saint Wenceslaus and his studies while at the university were
philosophy,
theology and
law. He was appointed to the post of first violinist of the
Týn Church in 1762 and studied
counterpoint with the
organist J. N. Seger. In 1765 he was engaged by the composer
Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf as a violinist for the private
orchestra of Bishop
Adam Patachich at Nagyvárad (now
Oradea, Romania). The orchestra was dissolved in 1769 and Pichl became the music director for Count Ludwig Hartig in Prague. In about 1770 he became first violinist of the Vienna court theatre and on the recommendation of the Empress
Maria Theresa, he became music director for the Austrian governor of
Lombardy at
Milan,
Ferdinand Karl, Archduke of Austria-Este. Pichl went to the
Kingdom of Italy in 1777 and remained there until 1796 when the French invaded Lombardy, he then returned to Vienna, where he stayed in the service of the archduke until his death (apart from a brief visit to Prague in 1802). In 1785, he met
Mozart and became friends with him. While Pichl was active in Milan, he served as
Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy's musical trustee in Milan, as well having composed over 148 pieces for the prince's favorite instrument, the
baryton. A detailed list of works that Pichl prepared for Dlabac's Künstler-Lexikon (1802) runs to around 900 items, most of which are still extant. Václav Pichl died in
Vienna,
Austrian Empire, on 23 January 1805, as the result of a stroke while playing a violin concerto at the
Palais Lobkowitz. He was 63 years old. ==Selected works==