Antonio Vivaldi
1687 - 1741

Antonio Vivaldi. 

Listen to Spring from The Four Seasons.

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy in 1687 and died in Vienna, Austria in 1741.  His father was his first music teacher, teaching him the violin.  In 1703 he became a priest and a teacher at a school for orphaned girls.   While there he wrote music for his weekly concerts.  The Four Seasons is his best known and most popular work. 

Vivaldi's music is characterized by vigorous rhythms and strong contrasts.  His music was so well written, it provided a model for other composers to copy.

Vivaldi wrote a massive amount of music, including concertos, sonatas, operas, and religious music.  He wrote his music during the Baroque period.  Other composers during this time included Bach and Handel.