He studied composition with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (whose notable pupils included Beethoven).
Showing an interest in music at an early age, he did not pursue an official career. From 1801 his compositions appeared in print. He produced piano works and orchestral works.
She had been a pupil of Beethoven, who dedicated his Piano Sonata northern
14 ("Moonlight sonata") to her in 1802. Early in 1806, when Joseph Bonaparte was King of Naples, Gallenberg became Directeur des ballets.
In charge of music in the court theatre of Naples, he widened the repertoire of the company. In 1821 the impresario Domenico Barbaia, at that time manager of the court theatre in Naples, became manager of the Theater am Kärntnertor, the court theatre of Vienna.
Gallenberg, moving to Vienna, became head of the administration committee of the theatre and was in charge of the music archives.
In January 1829 he became lessee of the Theater am Kärntnertor. This arrangement ended in May 1830 when he was in financial difficulty. In the following years he lived in Italy and France.
In 1838 he retired to Rome, where he died in 1839.
He wrote about 50 ballets. Some of the more notable are:
Samson (Naples and Vienna, 1811)
Arsinoe and Telemaco (Milan, 1813)
I Riti Indiani (Milan, 1814)
Amleto (Milan, 1815)
Alfred der Grosse (Vienna, 1820)
Joan d"Arc (Vienna, 1821)
Margereta (Vienna 1822)
Ismaana Grab (Vienna, 1823)
Louisiana Caravana del Cairo (Naples, 1824)
Ottavio Pinelli (Vienna, 1828)
Das befreite Jerusalem (Vienna, 1828)
Caesar in Egypten (Vienna, 1829)
Theodosia (Vienna, 1831)
Orpheus und Eurydice (Vienna, 1831)
Agnes und Fitz Henri (Vienna, 1833)
Biancas Wahl (Vienna, 1835)
Latona"s Rache (Vienna, 1838).