Antonio Vivaldi

Vivaldi's best-known work is his Four Seasons, a series of violin concertos.

The day Vivaldi was born in Venice, an earthquake rocked the city.

Vivaldi's father, a barber and a violinist, taught his son to play the violin.

Vivaldi's red hair earned him the nickname "The Red Priest."

At fifteen, Vivaldi began studying for the priesthood, and was ordained at twenty-five.

For thirty years, Vivaldi worked as a music teacher at an orphanage, composing much of his music for the school's all-female ensemble.

By the end of his life, Vivaldi was living in poverty, and was buried in a pauper's grave.

J.S. Bach was a big fan of Vivaldi's music, even transcribing several of his concertos for other instruments.

Much of Vivaldi's music has been lost, but some of his compositions have recently been discovered.

The "chest ailment" that greatly limited Vivaldi's physical ability was probably asthma.