Antonio Vivaldi was a well-known Venetian composer of the Baroque period. He is sometimes referred to as "Il Prete Rosso" or the "Red Priest" due to his physical appearance and his position as a Catholic priest. Another common synonym for Vivaldi is "the master of the violin" as he wrote over 500 concertos, with many of them featuring the instrument prominently. He is also known for his contribution to instrumental music, particularly in the development of the concerto. Some alternate names for Vivaldi include "the father of the concerto" and "the prince of Italian music".