 John Antes was born on March 24, 1740 in Frederick, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.In 1745, Antes entered the Moravian Boys Boarding School, where he received music education from Johann Christoph Pyrlaeus.Although Pyrlaeus might now be first-known as a teacher of Antes, he was the founder of the Bethlehem "collegium musicum", a capable singer, instrumentalist, and organist, and was also a missionary to Native Americans.