Mozart Composed His First Symphony at Age 8

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's musical genius manifested at an astonishing age. Mozart composed his Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major (K. 16) in 1764 when he was just 8 years old, while on a tour of Europe with his family. The symphony was written during a stay in London, where Mozart was inspired by hearing the compositions of Johann Christian Bach.

Mozart had already been performing publicly since age 5 and had composed his first minuets at age 4. By the time he died at age 35, he had created over 800 works including 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, 23 string quartets, and numerous operas. His creative output remains unmatched in classical music history.