born Nov. 14, 1778, Pozsony, Hung.
died Oct. 17, 1837, Weimar, Thuringia
Austrian composer, pianist, and conductor.
Hummel was a piano prodigy. Moving at age eight to Vienna, where his father was a conductor, he studied for two years with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . After five years of touring, he returned for further study and gave up public performance. He replaced Joseph Haydn as music director at the Esterházy palace but actually made his living teaching and composing for the theatre. In 1814 he recommenced performing with huge success, and he died wealthy. He composed a number of concertos and much chamber music.