Leopold Mozart

Hello, my name is Leopold Mozart, and my life was filled with the beautiful sound of music. I was born on November 14th, 1719, in a town called Augsburg, Germany. From a very young age, I fell in love with music, especially the sweet, soaring notes of the violin. My passion for music led me to move to the lovely city of Salzburg to continue my studies. It was there that my hard work paid off, and I earned a very important job as a court musician for the Prince-Archbishop. This meant I played music in a grand palace for a very powerful leader. Salzburg was also where I met my wonderful wife, Anna Maria Pertl. We were married in the year 1747 and started our life together, surrounded by the music that I loved so much.

Besides playing music, I had a great passion for teaching it. I believed that anyone could learn to play an instrument beautifully if they had a good and careful guide to follow. I wanted to create a guide that could help students everywhere. So, in the year 1756, I published a book that became my most famous written work. It was called 'Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule', which means 'A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing'. My book was filled with lessons on how to hold the violin, how to draw the bow across the strings, and how to play with feeling. It became famous all across Europe, and for many years, it helped countless young musicians learn to master the violin.

My wife Anna Maria and I had two very special children. Our daughter, Maria Anna, who we called Nannerl, was a gifted musician. Her younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus, was born in 1756, the same year I published my violin book. It was clear from a very early age that they both had incredible musical talents. I began teaching Nannerl to play the keyboard, and I was amazed at how quickly she learned. But I was truly stunned by her little brother. When Wolfgang was only three years old, he would climb up onto the keyboard bench while his sister was having her lesson. He would listen intently, and then, he would play the notes back perfectly from memory. By the time he was just five years old, Wolfgang was already composing his own little pieces of music. I was filled with so much pride and amazement watching my children create such beautiful sounds.

I knew I had to share my children's incredible gifts with the world. So, in 1763, our family packed our bags and began a grand adventure. We set off on a long concert tour across Europe that would last for more than three years. We traveled in horse-drawn carriages, which was a slow and often bumpy way to get around, but it allowed us to visit many different countries. We went to magnificent cities like Paris and London, where Nannerl and Wolfgang performed for very important people. They played their music in shimmering palaces for kings and queens. It was an exciting and sometimes tiring journey, but seeing the joy on people's faces when they heard my children play made it all worthwhile. People everywhere were astonished by their talent.

I devoted my life to music—as a composer, a teacher, and most importantly, as a father. I lived to be 67 years old, passing away on May 28th, 1787. My life was filled with the joy of creating and sharing beautiful music with my family. Today, my violin book is still studied by musicians, and some of my own compositions are still played. However, I am most remembered as the father and teacher who introduced the world to the genius of my son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I am so proud that the music our family shared continues to bring happiness to people all over the world.