One of today's most widely performed composers, Antonio Vivaldi was an equally acclaimed artist in his own lifetime, whose career was as fascinating as it was atypical. Vivaldi was born in the dynamic, liberal Republic of Venice in 1678, the son of a barber and violinist. Alongside his violin studies, the young virtuoso embarked on an ecclesiastical career. He was hired as a music teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà hospice for orphans, where he formed the first female orchestra in history. He composed numerous pieces of sacred, choral and instrumental music for the residents, before writing his first operas, including the triumphant Orlando furioso. At the height of his powers, Vivaldi's works - including the Four Seasons, one of the first so-called "program music" works in history - triumphed throughout Europe.