There is no doubt that Mozart was among the most significant and eternally popular composers of classical music. He was enormously productive and his compositions include many that are widely acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. Many of his works are part of the standard concert repertory and are hailed as masterpieces of the classical style.

A child prodigy, Mozart composed his first symphony before the age of 10 and his first successful opera by the age of 12. As a child and young man, he travelled extensively throughout Europe performing and composing commissioned musical pieces for the royal courts of Munich, Mannheim, Paris, London, The Hague, and Paris. He also travelled extensively in Italy and was met with tremendous acclaim there.

Before his early death he had created hundreds of solo and orchestral pieces, sources of inspiration for composers Beethoven and Wagner. Grand celebrations marking the 250th birthday of the composer are being held throughout the world in 2006; but the most extravagant and over the top are centred in his birthplace, the elegant city of Salzburg, and Vienna, the site of his most prolific period, where he died at the age of 35.

Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera will be performing Mozart’s greatest operas, including “The Magic Flute”, “Don Giovanni”, “Le Nozze di Figaro” and “Così fan tutte”.
Through November, 2006
Address: 1010 Wien, Opernring 2

Mozarthaus Vienna Though Mozart lived at a dozen addresses in Vienna, the only one to survive is located at Domgasse No. 5. The composer lived here in grand style from 1784 until 1787: the apartment features six rooms and a kitchen. Open daily 10am-8pm, admission: € 9/adult.

Mozart Exhibition at the Albertina
March 17 until Sept.24, 2006
Mozart's life and works, his journeys and contemporaries, and ideas whose legacy lives on to this day - the Mozart exhibition at the Albertina presents all of this and more.

Mozart at the Theater an der Wien
90 performances and star-studded casts in Mozart’s most famous operas. Plácido Domingo, Julian Rachlin and Thomas Quasthoff will appear at the opening concert with the Vienna Symphony. Bertrand de Billy conducts both in "Don Giovanni" and the contemporary version of "Flammen" by Erwin Schulhoff.

Vienna Boys’ Choir
Under the motto “Mozart and more”, the Vienna Boys’ Choir – founded over 500 years ago – will also be giving concerts at the Musikverein.Throughout 2006

Vienna Mozart Orchestra
The Vienna Mozart Orchestra will be performing in historical costumes in venues such as the golden hall of the Musikverein, the Vienna State Opera, the Konzerthaus and the Imperial Palace. Listen to arias, duets and overtures from “The Magic Flute”, “Le Nozze di Figaro” and “Don Giovanni” as well as “A Little Night Music”.
14, 15 April & 1 May - 30 October 2006: every Mon/Fri/Sat

Schönbrunn Palace Marionette Theatre
Mozart’s most popular opera, “The Magic Flute”, played by delightful marionettes carved of wood, transports the audience back to a bygone age – a world of fantasy at the court of Empress Maria Theresa. Throughout 2006

Viva! Mozart - A Celebration For Mozart
27 January 2006 - 7 January 2007
Salzburg celebrates the 250th anniversary of the birth of its great genius with the "Viva! MOZART" exhibition. Held at the Neue Residenz Palace, recently restored. Open daily, 9 am - 6 pm, on Thursdays until 8 p.m.

The Mozart Residence
Special Exhibition: presentation of the painting Mozart In Verona, one of the most famous private-owned Mozart portraits. Through March 31, 2006 Mozarts Wohnhaus, Makartplatz 8

Best of Mozart
29 Special Concerts in Salzburg February 25th until November 18th, 2006 The Mozarteum Orchestra and the Salzburg Chamber Soloists have put together a top-quality program, to mark Mozart Year 2006. On 29 weekend dates between February and November of 2006, Salzburg will host a series of festive concert evenings: The most beautiful melodies from his most famous divertimenti, symphonies and overtures, as well as arias from Mozart's most popular operas, will be performed in one of the world's most beautiful concert halls, the Great Hall of the Mozarteum.

Surrounding the Salzburg events are dozens of shops and stalls selling all kinds of Mozart memorabilia including cuddly toys, T-shirts, baseball caps and even golf balls. Gabi Burgstaller, Salzburg's regional leader, illustrated the composer's importance, saying: "Mozart would have existed without Salzburg, but Salzburg, this Salzburg, would not exist without Mozart."