George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower (1778-1860) was born in Galicia, to a German mother and a father who claimed to be an African Prince. His father served Hungarian Prince Esterhazy, a patron of Joseph Haydn.                                                                                     As a child, Bridgetower demonstrated considerable talent on the violin and gave several successful concerts in Paris, London, Bath and Bristol. In 1791 The British Prince Regent, who later became George the IV, took an interest in Bridgetower and helped to advance his musical education under the leader of the Royal Opera. He continued to perform concerts in London theaters and played in the orchestra in Brighton until 1799.

In 1802 He went to Dresden to visit his mother and brother who was a cellist. In 1803 he visited Vienna where he performed with Ludwig Van Beethoven. Beethoven was impressed by Bridgetower so much so that he dedicated Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major to him. Not long after, the two men had a falling out and Beethoven ended up rededicating  the sonata to French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer.

Bridgetower returned to England to continue his career as a teacher and performer and was elected into the Royal Society of Musicians in 1807.