19th-century illustration of a seven year old Mozart at the piano with his father Leopold Mozart. Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was a musical prodigy. Initially taught by his father, he later came to be regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, particularly Viennese classicism. His prolific output covered many musical genres with over 600 compositions, including orchestral symphonies, instrumental concertos, chamber music, and operas. Engraving by De Lafosse (1878) from a painting by Carmontelle.