Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer/Librettist/Poet)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born 1756 to a very musically inclined Austrian family.  Many would consider Mozart a child prodigy.  It is said that at the age of four, he could learn a piece of music in a half hour.  He composed his first symphony at the age of eight and spent most of his early years touring with his mother and father.  Mozart became one of the first musicians in history to embark upon a free-lance career, without benefit of church, court, or a rich patron.  Many odds were against him, but his undisputed masterworks in virtually every musical genre of his age proved his success.  Despite his greatness, he was also known for his mismanagement of money, tactlessness, impulsiveness, and childish behavior at times.