fbpx

KidsKonnect

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Facts & Worksheets

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a Classical composer and musician. He is regarded as one of the greatest composers in Western music history.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /People /Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Facts & Worksheets

Premium
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an influential composer from the Classical Period, created more than 600 compositions. Most of his works are still played and acknowledged today. He was well-known and regarded as one of the greatest composers in Western music history.

See the fact file below for more information on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or you can download our 30-page Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was the baptismal name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
  • He was born on January 27, 1756, at Getreidegasse 9, Salzburg.
  • Wolfgang was the youngest of the seven children of Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria.
  • However, five siblings died in infancy, leaving an elder sister, Maria Anna Mozart, also known as Nannerl.
  • Mozart’s parents were Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl.
  • His father came from a family of architects and bookbinders, while his mother was from a middle-class family involved in local administration.
  • Mozart’s father was a composer and also a teacher.
  • In the same year Mozart was born, his father published a violin textbook entitled “Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule” (“A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing”).
  • The textbook was successful and still serves as an educational source for 18th-century performance practice.
  • At seven years old, Nannerl started learning the keyboard through her father.
  • During his childhood, Mozart’s only teacher was his father. 
  • Leopold taught them music, and also languages, and other academic subjects.  
  • Apart from what his father taught him, Mozart was eager to learn more.
  • As early as three years old, Mozart was already seen to have great musical talent.
  • He was able to determine the chords on the harpsichord until he was able to play some pieces and write compositions.
  • Mozart’s first ink-spattered composition and advanced violin skills arose from his own initiative.
  • His father was surprised by these and eventually gave up composing as soon as his son’s talents became more evident.

JOURNEY AS A MUSICIAN

  • Mozart’s family had been on many European journeys where he and his sister played as child prodigies.
  • Mozart was only five years old when these journeys started.
  • Their first exhibition was at the court of the Elector of Bavaria, then followed by performances at the Imperial Courts in Vienna and Prague, all in 1762. 
  • The exhibitions were followed by a long tour that lasted for three and a half years.
  • On his Italian journey, Mozart met and interacted with several musicians and composers.
  • Johann Christian Bach was one of the musicians he visited in London in 1764 and 1765.
  • At eight years old, Mozart wrote his first symphony, believed to be transcribed by his father.
  • The trips were often challenging for their family.
  • After a year in Salzburg, Mozart traveled with his father to Italy, leaving his mother and sister at home. 
  • Their tour started in December 1769 and lasted until March 1771.
  • In Bologna, Mozart met Josef Mysliveček and Josef Mysliveček.
  • He was also accepted as a member of the Accademia Filarmonica. 
  • In his teens, Mozart was already fluent in musical language and excelled at imitating the musical equivalent of local dialects.
  • When Austrian politics dominated northern Italy, Mozart received plenty of opportunities.
  • They went from one musical center to another and sometimes rested in a place where concerts were offered or where a nobleman wanted to hear Mozart play. 
  • Mozart wrote the opera Mitridate, re di Ponto while in Milan. 
  • The performance gained success which opened opportunities for him to start opera commissions.
  • Leopold wanted his son’s talent as a performer and composer to be known, hoping that their visits would make them receive appointments from well-known people.
  • Archduke Ferdinand almost hired Mozart, but his mother, Empress Maria Theresa, resisted the idea.
  • Inspired by their Italian journey, Mozart composed a solo motet, Exsultate, jubilate. 
  • On March 13, 1773, Mozart and Leopold returned to Salzburg, where Mozart was employed as a court musician by Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo.
  • Through this opportunity, he indulged in other genres, including symphonies, serenades, string quartets, masses, sonatas, and operas.
  • Between April and December 1775, Mozart’s enthusiasm for violin concertos motivated him to produce a series of five.
  • The following year, he focused on learning piano concertos.
  • He had a fruitful stay in Salzburg; however, Mozart was discontented with his salary and wanted to compose operas. 
  • Moreover, the court theater closed in 1775, and the other theater was only reserved for visiting troupes. 
  • He and his father went to Vienna and Munich to search for a job, but neither visit was successful.
  • Despite this, their journey in Munich brought him popularity through his premiere of the opera La finta giardiniera.
  • Mozart resigned from his position at Salzburg in August 1777.
  • He started his journey again and visited Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris, and Munich on September 23 in search of a job.
  • During his stay in Mannheim, he became acquainted with the members of a famous orchestra.
  • Mozart also developed a love interest with one of the daughters of a musical family, Aloysia Weber.
  • Unable to land a job, he continued his search in Paris.
  • He could have been hired as an organist at Versailles but was not interested in it.
  • Mozart began running up debts and pawned his valuables.
  • While he was in Paris, Mozart’s mother became seriously ill and died on July 3, 1778.
  • The delays in calling a doctor were believed to be caused by insufficient funds. 
  • While Mozart was looking for a job outside Salzburg, his father stayed and tried to look for opportunities for him.
  • With the support received from his father, Mozart was offered a job as a court organist and concertmaster with 450 florins as his salary annually.
  • However, he was reluctant to accept it.
  • After living with Melchor Grimm, he moved out when their relationship became cold.
  • He left Paris for Strasbourg in September 1778 and wandered around Munich and Mannheim, hoping to become employed.
  • Mozart again encountered Aloysia, who was then a very successful singer in Munich.
  • However, the lady was no longer interested in Mozart.
  • Despite his unwillingness, he returned to Salzburg on January 15, 1779, and took the position offered.
  • Mozart was called by his employer, Archbishop Colloredo, in Vienna, as he wanted his musical servant to be within his reach.
  • While Mozart was serving as the archbishop, he was already planning big for his career.
  • In his letter to his father, he mentioned that his goal was to meet the Emperor.
  • In addition, he also mentioned in the letter his plans to join as a soloist in the concerts of a known benefit concert series, Tonkunstler-Societat.
  • With his effort, Mozart met the Emperor, who supported his career by giving him commissions and part-time positions, and joined the Tonkunstler-Societat.
  • Archbishop Colloredo prevented Mozart from performing outside of his establishment.
  • Their dispute intensified in May, and this pushed Mozart to resign from his post.
  • The archbishop refused his resignation, but the next month, he permitted Mozart to go in an insulting way.
  • He ordered his steward, Count Arco, to give Mozart a “kick in the arse.”
  • Leopold was against Mozart’s decision and wished him to return and serve Archbishop Colloredo.
  • They had intense letter exchanges, but Mozart stood by his decision.
  • Their argument only stopped when the archbishop dismissed Mozart.
  • When Mozart was finally free, he settled in Vienna as a freelance composer and performer.
  • His career in Vienna was successful, and he became established as Vienna’s finest keyboard player.
  • He was also successful as a composer.
  • In 1782, he was able to complete the opera Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, which was well received by the public.
  • From 1782 to 1785, Mozart held solo concerts, with three to four new piano concertos per season.
  • He performed in unconventional places since the capacity of theaters was limited.
  • With Mozart’s success, he and his wife lived a luxurious lifestyle.
  • Mozart became a Freemason on December 14, 1784.
  • His decision to join Freemasonry made an impact for the rest of his life.
  • In 1786, Mozart performed in public concerts less frequently, and his income declined.
  • Musicians in Vienna during this time had a hard life because of the Austro-Turkish war. 
  • He and his family moved to the suburb of Alsergrund.
  • Mozart also began borrowing money and was said to have been suffering from depression.
  • Mozart finally had a permanent job position on December 1787 as a chamber composer for Emperor Joseph II.
  • Mozart, hoping to be fortunate, also began visiting other places such as Leipzig, Dresden, and Berlin during 1789 and Frankfurt, Mannheim, and other German cities during 1790.
  • In 1790, Mozart’s financial situation began to improve.
  • Some wealthy patrons from Hungary and Amsterdam promised to pay him for occasional compositions.
  • With his salary as a chamber composer for Emperor Joseph II and the amount he got from wealthy patrons combined, he paid off his debt.
  • He gained public success through his works, especially The Magic Flute and the Little Masonic Cantata K. 623.

MARRIAGE

  • Mozart failed to pursue Aloysia Weber.
  • However, his interest shifted to Aloysia’s sister, Constanze Weber.
  • She was the third daughter of the Weber family.
  • They briefly separated in April 1782.
  • The courtship was not easy, and he faced challenges asking permission from Costanza’s father to marry her. 
  • Finally, they married in St. Stephen’s Cathedral on August 4, 1782.
  • The couple had six children, Raimund Leopold, Karl Thomas Mozart, Johann Thomas Leopold, Theresia Constanzia Adelheid Friedricke Maria Anna, Anna Maria, and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart.
  • However, Karl Thomas Mozart and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart only survived infancy.

DEATH

  • On September 6, 1791, Mozart fell ill in Prague at the time his opera La clemenza di Tito premiered.
  • His health worsened on November 20 of the same year.
  • Mozart died on December 5, 1791, in his home.
  • The cause of his death was not exactly known.

MOZART’S MUSIC

  • Mozart’s musical style is an archetype of the Classical style.
  • His music has all the elements of clarity, balance, and transparency.
  • He was a versatile composer who could write in different genres such as piano sonata, symphony, chamber music, opera, and solo concerto.
  • He is also known to be the master of dramatic timing.
  • Mozart could play several instruments, such as piano, violin, clarinet, trumpet, horn, flute, bassoon, harp, and oboe.
  • He primarily played the harpsichord, keyboard, and violin.
  • As a musician, Mozart was not innovative, but he was a master of various genres.
  • He did not experiment with musical forms; he used and recycled structural formulations from his successful pieces.

COMPOSITIONS

  • His career as a musician allowed him to compose over 600 works.
  • Here are only some of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s famous works through the years.
  • 1761 – Andante (K. 1a) And Allegro (K. 1b) – Classical Music (He composed this when he was 5 years old.)
  • 1770 – Mitridate Rè di Ponto – Opera
  • (A piece he performed in Milan)
  • 1771 – Ascanio in Alba – Pastoral Opera
  • (A piece he performed in Milan)
  • 1772 – Lucio Silla – Italian Opera
  • (A piece he performed in Milan)
  • 1775 – La finta giardiniera – Italian-language opera
  • (A piece he performed in Salvator theater in Munich)
  • 1781 – 1782 – Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail – Singspiel
  • (A piece he performed in Burgtheater, Vienna, Austria)
  • 1783 – No. 14 in G major, K. 387 – String Quartet
  • (A piece he performed in Vienna)
  • 1785 – C major, K. 467 – Piano Concertos
  • (A piece he performed in Vienna)
  • 1786 – Le nozze di Figaro – Opera Buffa (Comic Opera)
  • (Composed in Domgasse 5, behind St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna)
  •  
  • 1791 – The Magic Flute – Singspiel
  • (A piece he performed in Theater auf der Wieden, Austria)
  • The Clarinet Concerto K. 622 – String Quintets
  • (A piece he performed in Prague)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart across 30 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an influential composer from the Classical Period who created more than 600 compositions. Most of his works are still played and acknowledged today.

This download includes the following worksheets:

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Facts
  • True or False?
  • Pick Your Answer
  • Learn and Play
  • Classics
  • The Magic Flute
  • All About His Life
  • Mozart’s Map
  • Connecting Boxes
  • Guess That Song! 
  • Creative Side

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756.

Where was Mozart born?

Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria.

What was Mozart’s main profession?

Mozart was a composer and musician. He was considered one of the greatest composers of the classical era.

How did Mozart die?

Mozart died on December 5, 1791, in Vienna, Austria. The exact cause of his death is unknown, but it is believed to have been due to illness or complications from rheumatic fever.

What is Mozart famous for?

Mozart is famous for his prolific output of more than 600 works, including symphonies, operas, sonatas, and chamber music. Some of his most famous works include the operas “The Marriage of Figaro,” “Don Giovanni,” and “The Magic Flute,” and the symphonies No. 40 in G minor and No. 41 in C major. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 4, 2017

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources