Franz Joseph Haydn was born in Austria near the border of Hungary in a village called Rohrua, to Mathias Haydn and Elizabeth Haydn. In his household music was mandatory. Every evening his father would play the harp and his mother would sing. When it came to music, out of all the children, Franz was the most keen. His father sighted him one day rubbing two sticks together as if it was a violin, he then decided to give him musical training. .
After two years of training from Johann Mathias Frankh, he became apart of the school choir at St. Stephen's church in Vienna. While in the choir, the director Reutter neglected him. He didn't pay attention to any of the talents Haydn held. His father soon found out about the maltreatment. Hayden then was taken else where for his musical talents to shine.
When he turned seventeen he began to experience puberty and his voice started to change. This caused a problem with the choir. He was dismissed from the choir. Hayden was on the streets with no home, friends, or money. He was forced to sleep in the streets. A member from St. Stephen's pitied him and gave him temporary housing.
A short while later Haydn's luck changed. By him dedicating his spare time to music he composed a mass. This mass attracted a lot of attention allowing him to become a music teacher in an influential home in Vienna. He started to become well known, becoming acquainted with Michael Popora, a popular singer. Popora introduced him to other predominant musicians like Gluck and Dittersdorf.
After becoming acquainted with important musicians, composers, and singers, he composed his very first string quartet in 1755. Haydn was so intrigued by the Boccherini form of composition, that he continued to create string quartets. Haydn was later recommended for a chapel master's position at Count Morzin's private estate in Bohemia. Haydn found great benefit to this position, it granted him with a good salary, peace and quiet that led him to composing his first symphony.
