In this lesson, students learned about the renowned composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who was a pivotal figure in classical music during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Despite beginning to lose his hearing at 30 and becoming completely deaf by 47, Beethoven continued to compose over 700 works, including symphonies, concertos, and piano sonatas. Born in Bonn, Germany in 1770, he was pushed by his father to pursue music from a young age, and under the guidance of Christian Gottlob Neefe, Beethoven published his first compositions at just 12 years old.