Wilhelm Richard Wagner was born on 22 May 1813 in Leipzig, part of the Confederation of the Rhine. He was the youngest child of Carl Friedrich Wagner, a police clerk, and Johanna Rosine Wagner. His father died shortly after his birth, and his mother later married Ludwig Geyer, an actor and playwright. Wagner grew up in a theatrical environment, participating in performances and developing an early interest in music and drama. He attended various schools, where he received piano instruction and began composing, influenced by composers such as Beethoven and Weber.Wagner's early career began in 1833 when he became choirmaster at the Theatre Würzburg. He composed his first opera, Die Feen, which was not performed until many years later. After a brief stint in Magdeburg, where he faced financial difficulties, he married actress Minna Planer in 1836. Their tumultuous relationship was marked by financial struggles, leading them to flee creditors in Riga and eventually settle in Paris. During this time, Wagner wrote several operas, including Rienzi and Der fliegende Holländer, and began to develop his ideas about music drama.In 1842, Wagner moved to Dresden, where he gained recognition for his operas. He staged Der fliegende Holländer and Tannhäuser, but his political involvement in socialist movements led to his exile after the failed May Uprising in 1849. He spent the next twelve years in Switzerland, where he wrote extensively and developed his concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or 'total work of art.' During this period, he began composing the Ring cycle, which included Das Rheingold and Die Walküre.Wagner's personal life continued to be tumultuous, marked by affairs and financial difficulties. He moved to Venice in 1858 and later returned to Paris, where he faced challenges in staging his works. In 1862, he settled in Biebrich, where he began work on Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. His fortunes changed in 1864 when King Ludwig II of Bavaria became his patron, allowing Wagner to stage his operas in Munich. Tristan und Isolde premiered in 1865, followed by Die Meistersinger in 1868.Wagner's ambition to create a dedicated opera house led to the establishment of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which opened in 1876 with the complete Ring cycle. Despite initial criticism, the festival established Wagner's significance in the music world. He continued to work on his final opera, Parsifal, which premiered in 1882. Wagner's health declined in his later years, and he died of a heart attack on 13 February 1883 in Venice. His remains were transported to Bayreuth, where he was buried in the garden of his home, Wahnfried.Wagner's operas and writings have had a lasting impact on music, influencing composers and artists across various disciplines. His innovative use of leitmotifs and complex harmonies reshaped the landscape of classical music, while his ideas on art and culture sparked debates that continue to this day. Despite controversies surrounding his personal beliefs and political views, Wagner's legacy endures through his operas, which remain central to the repertoire of major opera houses worldwide.