A student of his father, Kerll demonstrated great skill on the organ and in composition. He was patronized by the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm and allowed to study with Valentini. He progressed so well and was so talented that Kerll was sent to Rome where he studied with Carrissimi and possibly Frescobaldi. His talent provided him with courtly appointments and favor. He became the first German Kapellmeister in decades at Munich and composed a mass for the coronation of Emperor Leopold I. Kerll was not only adept at composing, for which the Emperor was quite pleased, but Kerll was also quite the improvisation artist and performer on the organ which not only please but surprised the Emperor: so much so that a title of nobility was conferred upon Kerll in 1664. Because of a split between his stylings and those of his musicians, Kerll left for Vienna in 1673. There he was the organist at St Stephen's Cathedral and was assisted by Pachelbel who was also his pupil. By 1677 Kerll became the organist of the imperial court in Vienna. The genres of his compositions included masses -- of which eighteen are extant -- operas -- none of which are extant -- sacred vocal music and instrumental works for the organ including ricercares, tocattas, conzonas, et cetera. Innovatively Kerll would state a motif in the body of his compositions, especially fugues, and follow it with an immediate inversion; the original motif, however, was usually chromatic suggesting dissonances followed by the inversion which further enhanced the dissonances. Kerll's fugal developments were not only interesting but thoroughly and exceptionally developed. His masses were quite reminiscent of Palestrina but take on new forms in their settings emulating the early symphonic and sonata structures. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi