Ludwig van Beethoven was not a musician.
Ludwig van Beethoven ( [ ˈlʊdvɪɡ_væn_ˈbeɪˌtoʊvən ] , [ ˈbeɪtˌhoʊvən ] [ ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːtˌhoˑfn̩ ] ; baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827 ) was a German composer and pianist . A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music , he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers . His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies , 5 piano concertos , 1 violin concerto , 32 piano sonatas , 16 string quartets , his great Mass the Missa solemnis , and one opera , Fidelio . Born in Bonn , then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire , Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age and was taught by his father Johann van Beethoven and by composer and conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe . At the age of 21 he moved to Vienna , where he began studying composition with Joseph Haydn and gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist .