Jacques Offenbach was a German-French composer and cellist. He was born on June 20, 1819 in Cologne, Germany. He is best known for his operettas, including Orpheus in the Underworld, La belle Hélène, and The Tales of Hoffmann. He became a French citizen in 1844 and spent most of his life in Paris, where he was a prominent figure in the music scene of the 19th century.