Background
He was born in Güstrow, where his father, Joachim Geist, was cantor at the cathedral school.
He was born in Güstrow, where his father, Joachim Geist, was cantor at the cathedral school.
He was a bass singer at the Danish court music ensemble in Copenhagen in 1669 and in June 1670 moved to the Swedish court orchestra under Gustaf Düben the elder (ca 1628-1690), a position he held until June 1679, having applied unsuccessfully for the position of choirmaster of Saint John"s in Hamburg in 1674. He became organist of the German church in Göteborg, and in November 1684 moved to Copenhagen, where he succeeded J.M. Radeck as organist of the Helligaandskirke, a post he held to his death, and also the Trinitatis Church, after marrying his widow Magdalena Sibylla in May 1685 (a practice by no means rare). He succeeded Johann Lorentz as organist of the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen in 1689.
From 1665–1666 and 1668–1669 he was a boy member of the court orchestra conducted by Daniel Danielis (1635-1696) of Duke Gustav Adolph of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.
