Young Achiever Wolfgang Mozart

Young Achievers have been around even in the olden days. A great example of this is the famed musician who’s legacy has lived on for hundreds of years. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This legend has created over 600 works of musical art. He’s traveled to over 200 major cities in countries like Italy, The Czech Republic, Switzerland and more!

Born in the famous city of Salzburg in 1756, Mozart was born into a family 6 siblings, his mother, Anna Maria, and his father, Leopold Mozart who was a skilled composer, conductor and violinist. As a young 3-year-old infant, Mozart watched his father play, teaching his sister how to play the piano. In that same year Leopold began teaching him how to play too, and to his surprise, Mozart was an extremely fast learner. He could flawlessly play the minuets as if he were born for this (he kind of was).

If that wasn’t enough to blow your mind, add the fact that a year later, Mozart began writing his own music pieces at 5 YEARS OLD! Barely older than a toddler. His first song, K.1 is quite surprisingly complicated and impressive for his age.

His father soon quit composing and became Mozarts musical teacher, not only teaching him piano, but also the violin, viola and organ. At the age of 6, Mozart and his family went on a European musical tour starting with the court of Prince Elector Maxamilian III in Munich. For the next 3 years Mozart played along side his sister and father, going on to give spell-bounding performances in Paris, Germany, Amsterdam, Zurich, Vienna, London and more. The travel was challenging at times but word was beginning to spread of this child prodigy. Mozart continued to create his own music. At the age of 8 composed his first symphony. At 12, he wrote his first Mass (sacred works of musical art).

At the age 14, Mozart composed his first opera giving his first solo performance at the 1,200 seater Teatro Regio Ducal opera house in the city of Milan. Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto was a great success. In the following years he premiered more of his works including Ascanio in Alba and Lucio Silla.

When he was 18, Mozart became Salzburg’ court musician. He’d go on to write his first sonatas, serenades, and piano concertos. Two years later he grew interested in violin concertos, writing his first and only 5. Had enough yet?

But living in Salzburg wasn’t what Mozart truly wanted. Payment was low and there were little opportunities to perform. Operas was where is heart lay. He’d set out to find a job as a musician elsewhere but with little success. After 5 years, Mozart resigned to stay in Salzburg after his father had found him a position as an organist and concertmaster. However, Mozart did his best to take every opportunity to perform elsewhere.

This angered Mozarts employer, Archbishop Colloredo, which in turn angered Mozart. See where this is going? It got even more heated when his own father pressured Mozart to stay in Salzburg. But Mozart didn’t budge, staying true to his desires, releasing himself from the archbishops employment. Moving to Vienna, he continued to pursue music as free lancer.

I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.

Wolfgang Mozart

For the remainder of his life his success grew, composing 11 more operas including Idomeneo and Le nozze di Figaro, 18 more piano concertos, 8 more symphonies, and on and on and on. Mozart was only 35 years old when he died, and he created lifetimes of incredible peices of musical art. His mark on this world has lived on for centuries, and will for centuries more. His story shows that even back in the 1700, kids, teens, and young adults accomplished great things. Like I say, its never to nor to early to start. When will you start?