At age six, Mozart, his sister, and his father toured much of Europe for nearly three years. The children performed for the nobility and mingled with the highest levels of the aristocracy. Upon reaching London, the Mozart family resided there for several months where the now eight year old Mozart composed his first symphony.
Mozart befriended and learned from J. C. Bach (one of Johann Sebastian Bach's sons who was working in London at the time).
Haydn famously made two trips to London in 1791 and 1795, residing there for over a year during each visit. During this time, Haydn composed his final 12 symphonies (numbers 93-104) and premiered each of them during a series of concerts organized to showcase Haydn's music.
The 12 London Symphonies were a massive success in England and are considered today to be the most perfectly composed symphonies of the 18th Century.
Several locations in London have ties to Haydn and Mozart. Below are a few of my personal favorites.
MOZART APARTMENT
SALOMON MEMORIAL
HAYDN BLUE PLAQUE
