Franz Liszt was one of the most influential and original composers of the 19th century. He was also a virtuoso pianist, a music teacher, a conductor, an organist, and a philanthropist. He was born in 1811 in Raiding, Hungary, and showed remarkable musical talent from an early age. He learned to play the piano from his father, who was a musician in the service of Prince Nicolas Eszterházy. He gave his first public concert at the age of nine and soon attracted the attention and support of wealthy patrons who sponsored his musical education.