Beethoven wrote powerful, emotional music that could sound like a thunderstorm or a happy dance. The most amazing part? He created some of his greatest works after he had become completely deaf — hearing the music only inside his own head.
Quick facts
- Born
- December 1770, Bonn, Germany
- Died
- 26 March 1827, Vienna
- Famous for
- Nine symphonies and beautiful piano music
- Famous work
- Ode to Joy (Ninth Symphony)
🖼️ Photo coming soon
A young talent
Beethoven learned piano as a boy and was soon playing for audiences. He moved to the music city of Vienna, where people were amazed at how he could make a piano sing.
Losing his hearing
In his twenties, Beethoven slowly began to go deaf. For a musician, this was heartbreaking. But instead of giving up, he kept composing, feeling the vibrations and imagining the sounds in his mind.
His greatest song
When Beethoven was completely deaf, he wrote his Ninth Symphony, ending with the joyful "Ode to Joy." At its first performance he couldn't hear the huge applause — someone had to turn him around to see the crowd cheering!
"Music can change the world." — Ludwig van Beethoven
Why we remember him
Beethoven shows that we can do great things even when life is hard. Like the inventive genius Leonardo da Vinci, he never stopped creating, no matter the obstacle.