Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756, in the city of Salzburg, the capital of the independent archbishopric of Salzburg, which today is part of Austria, to Leopold and Anna Maria Pertl Mozart. He was baptized the day after his birth at St. Rupert’s Cathedral. The baptismal record gives his name in Latinized form as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus (Gottlieb) Mozart. Of these names, the first two were saint’s names not employed in everyday life and the fourth was variously translated in Mozart’s lifetime as Amadeus (Latin), Gottlieb (German), and Amadé; Mozart himself preferred the third (see Mozart’s name).

Mozart’s musical ability became apparent when he was about three years old. His father Leopold was one of Europe’s leading musical pedagogues, whose influential textbook Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule (”Essay on the fundamentals of violin playing”) was published in 1756, the year of Mozart’s birth. Mozart received intensive musical training from his father, including instruction in clavier, violin, and organ.