Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) was perhaps the most astonishing prodigy in human history, composing minuets at age five and symphonies at eight before touring Europe's royal courts with his father Leopold. Breaking away from the restrictive court of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg in 1781, Mozart settled as an independent freelance composer in Vienna.

Over a brief thirty-five-year life, Mozart brought every musical genre he touched to absolute perfection: forty-one symphonies (including the sublime Jupiter), twenty-seven sparkling piano concertos, string quintets, and peerless operas. In collaboration with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, he revolutionized opera with Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte, seamlessly fusing tragedy, comedy, and psychological depth before leaving his haunting Requiem unfinished at his death.