Johann Strauss II
Composer
Nicknamed The Waltz King, he was an Austrian composer who created over 500 works, mainly comprised of dance music and operettas. In 1888, the Sultan of Turkey bestowed upon him the Order of the Medjidieh.
He learned to play the violin in secret as a child. He debuted at Dommayer's Casino in October 1844 performing mostly waltzes and polkas.
He succumbed to the intense mental and physical demands of his career and suffered a nervous breakdown in 1853.
His father was the revered composer Johann Strauss I. He married his third wife Adele Deutsch in 1882. He made an agreement with his brother to have most of his original work destroyed after his death.
His work was admired by fellow composer Richard Wagner.