Organist, violinist and composer from a family of musicians. His father, Johann Christian (1699-1754), was Konzertmeister at Eisenach and his grandfather, Jakob Christian, was Kapellmeister at Oettingen. He studied in Eisenach with S.L. Heil (1706-64), one of J.S. Bach’s pupils, and later with Karl Höckh and Franz Benda. Hertel travelled often to Berlin where he kept close contact with C.P.E. Bach, Georg Benda, Franz Benda and Karl Graun. He was employed for a short time at the Mecklenburg-Strelitz court from 1752 until he accepted the post of Kapellmeister at Schwerin in 1754, where he remained until his death in 1789.