Philippe-Jacques Meyer

{{Short description|French harpist and composer (1732–1820)}}

Philippe-Jacques Meyer (1732–1820){{cite DNB |wstitle= Meyer, Philip James |volume= 18 |last= Seccombe |first= Thomas |author-link= Thomas Seccombe |page=317 |short= 1}}{{Ref label|ida|a|none}} was a French harpist and composer. He was born in Strasbourg, studied theology as well as music and gave his first solo concert in Paris in 1761.[https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.18552 Hans J. Zingel, "Meyer, Philippe-Jacques [Philipp Jakob; Philip James]," Grove Music Online] He was primarily active as a teacher and composer. He traveled extensively between London, Paris and Strasbourg and settled in London in 1784[https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.18552 Hans J. Zingel, "Meyer, Philippe-Jacques [Philipp Jakob; Philip James]," Grove Music Online]{{cite web |last1=Slonimsky |first1=Nicolas |last2=Kuhn |first2=Laura |last3=McIntire |first3=Dennis |title=Meyer, Philippe-Jacques |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/meyer-philippe-jacques |website=Encyclopedia.com}} where he used an anglicised form of his name, Philip James Meyer.

Meyer's 1763 Essai sur la vraie manière de jouer de la harpe is a historical survey of the harp and of harp music and one of the first pedagogical harp treatises. Meyer himself was one of the first to perform on the then-new pedal harp in Paris, in 1765, and the first to perform on one in London, during his first visit in 1772.

He married in Strasbourg in 1768, and had 2 sons – one also named Philip James – who were both also performers on and composers for the harp.