Ludwig van Beethoven

Born

December 16, 1770

Died

March 26, 1827 (aged 56)

Known as

composer, pianist, conductor, music educator, organist, virtuoso

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer, conductor, and pianist. Regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, he was mentored during the Classical period, and his musical style was a key driver of the transition to Romantic music, and the expansion of instrumental forms such as the symphony, the piano sonata and the string quartet. His compositions have attracted extraordinary casual and scholarly interest, and remain among the most performed in the world.

Biography from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.