Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (baptized Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; 1756–1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. (“Amadeus” is the Latinized form of Theophilus that he later preferred.) Born in Salzburg, Austria, he showed prodigious musical ability from a very early age, composing from the age of five and performing before European royalty. His father, Leopold Mozart, was a leading musician and composer who recognized his son’s talent and took him and his sister Nannerl on extensive tours across Europe to showcase their abilities. By the age of 17, Mozart was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, though he grew restless and traveled in search of a better position, always composing abundantly. He moved to Vienna in 1781, where he achieved fame; financial difficulties there were real but intermittent, and he also earned well at times through teaching, publishing, and subscription concerts.

His vast output conventionally numbers more than 600 works (exact counts vary slightly depending on the treatment of fragments, arrangements, and doubtful attributions), many of which are acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Among his most famous compositions are the operas The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and The Magic Flute, as well as numerous symphonies (including the “Jupiter” Symphony), piano concertos, and string quartets. His sacred output is equally significant and includes several Masses (notably the unfinished Great Mass in C minor, K. 427, and the Coronation Mass, K. 317), the exquisite motet Ave verum corpus, Vespers, litanies, and the unfinished Requiem in D minor, K. 626, left incomplete at his death and later finished by his pupil Franz Xaver Süssmayr.

Mozart’s music is characterized by its melodic beauty, formal elegance, and rich harmonic language. He died in Vienna at the age of 35, leaving behind a legacy that profoundly influenced Western classical music and continues to be celebrated worldwide. His innovative use of counterpoint, expressive range, and dramatic flair set new standards for musical composition.