(1678-1741), Italian composer and violinist, was the most influential of his age. He was born March 4, 1678, in Venice, and was trained by his father, a violinist at Saint Mark's Cathedral. He was ordained a priest in 1703 and began teaching that year at the Ospedale della Pietà, a conservatory for orphaned girls. He was associated with the Pietà, usually as music director, until 1740, training the students, composing concertos and oratorios for weekly concerts, while establishing an international reputation. From 1713 on, Vivaldi was also ....