Harnoncourt started life as a cellist in the Vienna Symphony Orchestra before he decided that he wanted to explore performance in a more historically informed manner. He founded his Concentus Musicus Wien and became one of the pioneers of period performance, exploring repertoire from Monteverdi to Schubert. Musically, his life came full circle as modern orchestras sought him out to show them a more authentic style, and his recordings with the Royal Concertgebouw, Berlin, and Vienna Philharmonics reaped huge rewards. His life is music and music is his life—and it shows in every performance.