Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg into a musical family. His father was a professional musician and composer employed by the Archbishop of Salzburg, who was the ruler of the town. Mozart had an older sister called Nannerl. When she was seven years old, their father started to teach her the piano. Mozart, who was three years old at the time, watched curiously and began to practice on his own. He showed great talent, and his father started to teach him as well. Soon, the child Mozart was writing small compositions and showing them to his father. They were so good that his father decided to stop composing and focus on teaching his son. 

During the next few years, Mozart and his father and sister traveled widely all over Europe, performing as child prodigies for princes, kings and archbishops. They went to England, Italy, France and Germany. Wherever he went, Mozart impressed people with his great talent for musical performance and composition. He wrote his first opera at the age of fourteen. During these journeys he met many famous musicians and became very famous himself. All of Europe was talking of the wonderful child prodigy. 

During the next few years, Mozart tried to find a regular job. This was difficult as there were few positions available for composers and musicians. He got his first job in Salzburg, but was not happy there as the payment was very low, and the Archbishop did not like operas. Mozart wanted to compose operas. He traveled widely around Europe again, this time with his mother, looking for a better job. They were poor, and the little money he made from his concerts had to be spent on traveling expenses. While they were in Paris, his mother fell seriously ill and then suddenly died. 

In 1782, Mozart quarreled with his employer and decided to leave Salzburg. He went to Vienna and worked as a freelance musician. He quickly became very popular and famous composing operas and other pieces. He married the daughter of a musician, Constanze, and they had seven children together, only two of whom survived into adulthood. During this period, Mozart worked hard on his music, and made lots of money playing his pieces. 

Towards the end of the 1780s, Mozart started to have financial difficulties. He traveled around Europe again looking for a better job but was not able to find one. His music was still very popular with the public in Vienna. In 1878 he composed one of his most famous pieces, called Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and it was a big hit.