How did Joseph Haydn’s music become known across Europe during the 1760s?

During the 1760s, Joseph Haydn’s reputation began to spread across Europe through several key channels. A primary factor was the role of Austrian and Czech monasteries, which were instrumental in disseminating his church music as well as his symphonies, divertimenti, sonatas, and concertos.1

Additionally, aristocratic patrons throughout south Germany, Italy, and the Austrian empire actively collected his music. These private collections and their associated libraries became vital repositories that helped circulate copies of his work to a wider audience. While Haydn spent much of his career in the service of the Esterházy family, the high quality of the music he composed for their court—including operas, symphonies, and string quartets—further enhanced his fame during this period.1