Vienna — often called the City of Music — was once at the heart of western musical tradition, with a history of larger-than-life personalities: Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert and more. Each of these classical composers sought ever-refined and increasingly complex forms that defined Austro-German society and expressed the emotions of its people.

By the late 19th century, Vienna was an urban metropolis buzzing with ephemeral experiences ripe for artistic expression, epitomizing Charles Baudelaire's idea of modernity. As if on cue, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Arnold Schoenberg revolutionized music.

Learn about these three great composers and hear Mahler's Piano Quartet, Richard Strauss' Piano Quartet, Op. 13 and Schoenberg's String Trio, Op. 45.

Joining speaker Chavdar Parashkevov are Eliseo Rene Salazar, principal violist, Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet orchestras; Louis-Marie Fardet, assistant principal cellist, Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet orchestras; and Natasha Kislenko, pianist and lecturer, University of California, Santa Barbara.