Julius Reubke was born in the small village of Hausneindorf near Quedlinburg and grew up in a musically inclined family. His father, Adolph, was not only an organ and piano maker but also an avid musician.
In 1856, Reubke went to Weimar to study piano and composition with Franz Liszt. This connection likely came about through his Berlin acquaintances, Hans von Bülow and Alexander Winterberg. In the inspiring atmosphere of Liszt's circle, he composed his two most important works: the large-scale Piano Sonata in B-flat minor and the monothematic Organ Sonata in C minor, entitled "The 94th Psalm."
His application for an organist position at St. John's Church in Magdeburg was unsuccessful. At the end of 1857, he left Weimar and moved to Dresden, hoping to find new musical opportunities there. As he increasingly experienced symptoms of tuberculosis, he sought respite at the spa town of Pillnitz near Dresden at the end of May 1857.
On June 3, 1858, Julius Reubke died in Pillnitz at the young age of 24 and was buried at the Church of Our Lady of the Water in Pillnitz-Hosterwitz. Although his grave no longer exists, a memorial plaque was installed at the church in 2015 by the Society of Friends of the Organ to commemorate the German pianist, organist, and composer.