Christoph Willibald von Gluck (Composer)

Christoph Willibald von Gluck was a revolutionary Opera composer for his time.  He was born in 1714 and died in 1787.  His life was a true rags to riches story.  As a child, he grew up in a lower class family who served as game keepers under Prince Lobkowitz.  This is not to say however that he did not receive an education, in fact, the Prince helped fund his early schooling.  As a young man, Christoph furthered his education in Prague.  When he returned the Prince helped him become a well-known composer/musician by getting him gigs with the best families in Austria.  From there, Christoph's hard work began to pay off.  He wrote many beautiful French and Italian Operas during his time and they are still enjoyed today.