Born: 25 October 1825 · Died: 3 June 1899 · Age at death: 73
How old was Johann Strauss II when he died?
Johann Strauss II died aged 73. He was born on 25 October 1825 and died on 3 June 1899.
Austrian composer famous for waltzes such as The Blue Danube
Did you know?His father initially forbade him from pursuing a career in music, so he had to learn the violin in secret as a child.
Quick facts
Date of birth25 October 1825
Date of death3 June 1899
Age at death73
Cause of deathPleuropneumonia
NationalityAustrian
BirthplaceSankt Ulrich, Austria
Occupationconductor, composer
Editor's Take:
Johann Strauss II turned the waltz from a dance-hall fashion into music that concert audiences still revere. He led his own orchestra as a teenager, competing directly with his father. Over the following decades his tunes became the sound of imperial Vienna. Brahms and Wagner both admired his craftsmanship. The Blue Danube became an unofficial Austrian anthem. Every New Year's Day the Vienna Philharmonic still builds its famous concert around his family's music.
Key Milestones
1844: Makes his debut as a conductor in Vienna
1867: The Blue Danube waltz is first performed
1874: Die Fledermaus premieres
Johann Baptist Strauss II (German:; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger, the Son (German: Johann Strauß Sohn), or simply Johann Strauss, was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas, as well as a violinist.
