Mozart, the Illustrious Composer

You simply can’t visit Salzburg without talking about its most iconic figure, and no, it’s not a landmark, an animal, or an object, but a person: the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And once you start learning about him, you’ll see there’s a lot to say about this musical genius who earned his place among the greatest composers in history.

First off, Mozart was born right here in Salzburg in 1756, and his father, Leopold Mozart, was a renowned violinist and composer himself, so the talent clearly ran in the family. Fun fact: his full name wasn’t actually Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Ready for it? His birth name was Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Thankfully, he rarely used it when signing his work.

Mozart began music at just three years old, and it was immediately clear he was a prodigy. He had perfect pitch, meaning he could identify any note by ear, and he also had an eidetic memory, allowing him to recall images and sounds with stunning precision. Before he could even read, he was already playing music by ear. By age six, he was composing his own pieces. Not long after, he went on a European tour with his father, performing in front of kings and courts, including King Louis XV of France, leaving audiences speechless.

When he was 14, he attended a performance at the Sistine Chapel in Rome and managed to transcribe the entire piece from memory that same evening, after hearing it only once.

If you’re not already impressed, go listen to a few of his concertos or symphonies, most are considered near-perfect masterpieces. It’s no wonder his face is featured on Austria’s one-euro coin! But despite his brilliance, Mozart’s life wasn’t long or easy. He died at just 35, bedridden, ill, and overweight. The exact cause of his death remains a mystery, but what we do know is that he left behind over 800 works, concertos, symphonies, sonatas, and operas.

Just 1.52 meters tall, burdened by debts, and constantly living on the edge, he still managed to leave an eternal mark on the world of music, and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest composers of all time.