Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) came from a musical family and showed prowess as a performer and composer from his earliest days. At the age of 18, his mother's death and his father?s alcoholism left Ludwig responsible for raising his younger brothers. He earned money by teaching music to children and, in what little spare time he had, wrote and performed his compositions. His work caught the attention of Joseph Haydn and Ludwig ultimately moved to Austria to study with the elder composer. By his mid-twenties, Ludwig?s hearing began to fail; by his mid-forties, he was completely deaf. Despite that and a host of other illnesses, he continued to write astonishing orchestral music that permanently impacted the world.