Franz Schubert was an Austrian composer who bridged the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite dying at just 31, he was extraordinarily prolific, leaving over 1,500 works. He is especially celebrated for his Lieder (art songs), numbering more than 600, which transformed the genre through deep emotional expression and vivid word-painting. Famous examples include Erlkönig, Gretchen am Spinnrade, and the song cycles Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise. Born in Vienna to a schoolteacher’s family, Schubert showed remarkable musical talent from childhood. He studied at the Stadtkonvikt, where he encountered the music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, later training privately with Antonio Salieri. Much of his career was supported by friends rather than institutions, and public recognition was limited. His only major public concert of his music took place in 1828, shortly before his death. Beyond songs, Schubert wrote symphonies, chamber music, and operas. Today, he is regarded as one of the greatest composers in Western music, admired for his lyrical genius and astonishing creative output in such a short life.