born Feb. 20, 1791, Vienna, Austria
died July 15, 1857, Vienna
Austrian composer, teacher, and pianist.
Son of a musician, he made his piano debut at age 9 and began study with Ludwig van Beethoven at 10. A brilliant pianist, he later became a famous piano teacher; his students included Sigismond Thalberg (1812–71) and Franz Liszt . Though he was a prolific composer, he is known today almost exclusively for his hundreds of piano exercises and études.