Ludwig van Beethoven (December 16, 1770 –March 26, 1827) was born in Bonn, Germany. He came from a musical family (his father was a court singer, his grandfather was the former court music director) and began his musical training with his father. Beethoven would go on to study with several other prominent figures in Bonn, and eventually moved to Vienna to study piano under Haydn in 1792. As early as 1796, Beethoven's hearing began to suffer for still-undetermined reasons. By 1814, he was almost entirely deaf, but he continued composing and wrote some of his greatest works in his late period, such as his Ninth Symphony.

Beethoven did not lead an easy life. Devastated by his failing hearing, he considered suicide, but decided to persevere through and for the sake of his art. His composition suffered through periods of bad health and personal strife. Contrary to popular belief, however, Beethoven's music was widely enjoyed during his lifetime. He had several aristocratic patrons in Vienna, such as Napoleon's brother Jerome Bonaparte, who supported him for most of his life. In 1827, Beethoven died after several months of sickness at the age of 56.

The Piano Concerto No. 3 is one Beethoven's first pieces that clearly departed from the Classical style and began the transition into the Romantic period. In the words of pianist and scholar Charles Rosen, "Beethoven in C minor has come to symbolize his artistic character. In every case, it reveals Beethoven as Hero. C minor… does give him to us in his most extrovert form, where he seems to be most impatient of any compromise." The piece was his first piano concerto in a minor key, and he used varied textures and rich harmonies to reflect the stormy emotions for which he has a reputation today. Dedicated to Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, the piece premiered in 1800 with Beethoven himself as the soloist. The first movement, Allegro con brio, uses the popular double exposition form, in which the orchestra introduces the main themes of the movement and the solo piano repeats the initial themes before moving on to the turbulent development section. The piece begins in C minor and modulates around E- flat major, G minor, coming full circle to finish in its original key.

In contrast to the dynamic first movement, the Largo second movement is the epitome of peace and calm. Beginning with a piano solo in E-flat major, the movement goes on to develop extensively on the piano's original theme. The final Rondo – Allegro movement is in sonata-rondo form. It modulates through A-flat major and has a short thematic statement in E major before returning again to C minor for the restatement of the original theme. The piece ends joyously in a triumphant arrival in C major.