Ludwig van Beethoven is considered to be one of the greatest musical composers of all time. Born in Germany in 1770, Beethoven began his musical career early on, serving as an assistant organist at the age of twelve. He would later study music with Franz Josef Haydn. In Vienna, Beethoven earned a living by giving concerts and music lessons and by selling his compositions. He found support for his work among important members of Viennese aristocracy. During his later years, he began to lose his hearing, but he did not let his eventual deafness interfere with his work on musical compositions.