Christened Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, Austrian Classical Period composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) ranks among the greatest composers of all time. A child prodigy who died at a young age, Mozart began playing and composing at an age where many are still learning to speak and interact verbally with others. Not only was he precocious, he was also prolific, with an output rarely matched by composers of any period.