Franz Joseph Haydn

Alongside Beethoven and Mozart, a great representative of Viennese classicism. Considered the father of the symphony, sonata, and string quartet, he contributed to the flourishing of these musical forms, which survived almost intact until the beginning of the 20th century.
This outstanding composer was born in 1732 in Rohrau, and although he came from a poor family, his father taught him music from a young age, singing and playing the harp. At the age of six, he was sent to Hainburg, and two years later to Vienna, because he had an incredibly beautiful voice, which allowed him to join the choir of St. Stephen's Cathedral, where he could also improve his knowledge of music. After his voice changed, Haydn became an assistant to the composer Nicola Porpora, and then became the choir director for Count Morzin.
A major turning point in this musician's career was in 1761 when he was employed by the Esterházy princes. Thanks to this, Haydn had at his disposal one of the best orchestras in Europe, for which he composed most of his great works, both orchestral, operatic, and religious (e.g., Little Organ Mass in G major or later, from 1799, the B-flat major Mass 'Theresienmesse'). From this period come works such as Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor ('Farewell'), Keyboard Concerto in D major, Symphony No. 92 in G major ('Oxford'). After the death of Prince Miklós József, it was decided to dissolve the orchestra, which led Haydn to permanently move to Vienna. With the help of Johann Peter Salomon, he undertook his first trip to London, and two years later, another. There he could present his latest symphonies and listen more closely to Handel's oratorios, whose influence can be seen in 'The Creation' and 'The Seasons'. In 1789, he composed the national anthem of Austria. In 1791, he composed his outstanding work Symphony No. 94 in G major, from which the well-known 'Surprise' and 'The Clock' come. He spent the last years of his life in Vienna, where he was respected in the musical community. He died in 1809.