Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770 in Bonn, which is now part of modern-day Germany. Although there were seven children born to his family, he was one of only three to survive infancy. Beethoven’s first music teacher was his father, who taught him to play the piano. He also learned how to play the viola and violin. Beethoven’s father tried to market him as a child prodigy like Mozart.
 

As a teenager, Beethoven published several compositions and worked as the organist in the court chapel.
 

After the death of Beethoven’s mother in 1787, Beethoven’s father turned to alcohol and suffered from addiction.  At the age of nineteen, Beethoven found himself in a new role as the primary caregiver for his two younger brothers. Through a court order, he ensured that half of his father’s salary would be paid directly to him to support the family.

In his twenties, Beethoven moved to Vienna in order to benefit from its flourishing music scene. He had hopes of studying with Mozart, but due to Mozart’s untimely death, he studied instead with Franz Joseph Haydn.
 

Like Mozart, Beethoven earned money through the publication of his music and through his performances. He also had patrons who provided a comfortable annual salary in exchange for his compositions.
 

Beethoven wrote nine symphonies – large scale works for orchestra – over the course of his life. He also wrote many famous pieces for the piano including Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata.

Beethoven began to experience hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing of the ears) at the age of 26. His disability progressed until, near the end of his life, he had lost all of his hearing. Despite this challenge, he continued to compose music.
 

Beethoven died at the age of 57 in 1827. The cause of his death is not known for certain, but one theory is that he suffered from liver damage due to alcohol abuse. More than 20,000 people attended his funeral.
 

Throughout his life, Beethoven was plagued with family and personal problems that caused him great emotional turmoil. It is no surprise, then, that his music is considered to be some of the most expressive of its time. Beethoven had a gift for writing music that still conveys deep meaning to listeners today.