Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice on March 4, 1678, and died on July 28, 1741. He earned the nickname "The Red Priest" thanks to his striking red hair, and he was indeed a Catholic priest alongside his career as a composer and virtuoso violinist.

Vivaldi stands as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his reach was massive during his own lifetime—his work spread across Europe and shaped the musical landscape of his era. He's best known for instrumental concertos, particularly for violin, though he also wrote sacred choral music and over forty operas. Most people recognize his name because of one work above all others: The Four Seasons, a series of violin concertos that's become almost synonymous with Baroque music itself.