Haydn was the second son of humble parents: his father was a wheelwright, and his mother, before her marriage, was a cook. His younger brother, Michael, also became a composer and was highly regarded for his church music. Haydn married Maria Anna Keller in 1760, but the couple had no children.
What was Joseph Haydn’s family like?
How was Joseph Haydn educated?
When Haydn was a child, he received a basic music education from his cousin. He later served as a chorister for St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, where he gained practical music skills but little instruction in theory. After being expelled when his voice changed, Haydn largely taught himself through the study of musical works.