A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain to the level of an adult expert performer. [1] [2] [3] This is a list of young children (under age 10) who displayed a talent in music deemed to make them competitive with skilled adult musicians. The list is sorted by genre and instrument.
| Name | Born | Instrument | Debut [lower-alpha 1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles-Valentin Alkan | 1813 | Piano | 5 | Entered Paris Conservatoire at age 5, youngest ever admission. [4] |
| Martha Argerich | 1941 | Piano | 4 | Orchestral debut at age eight [5] |
| Kit Armstrong | 1992 | Piano | 5 | Concerto debut at eight; Morton Gould Young Composer Award for five consecutive years [6] |
| Claudio Arrau | 1903 | Piano | 5 | Could read notes before letters [7] |
| Daniel Barenboim | 1942 | Piano | 7 | [8] |
| Emily Bear | 2001 | Piano | 5 | Composed and released her first piano album at age five [ citation needed ] |
| Vincenzo Bellini | 1801 | Piano | 5 | Began studying music theory at two, the piano at three, and by the age of five could apparently play well |
| Lili Boulanger | 1893 | Piano, violin, cello, harp | 6 | Attended Louis Vierne's organ classes at the Paris Conservatoire at age six [9] |
| Frédéric Chopin | 1810 | Piano | 7 | Wrote his first composition, a polonaise, which is still studied and performed today. [10] |
| Georges Cziffra | 1921 | Piano | 9 | Entered the Franz Liszt Academy at age nine, after some four years performing in a traveling circus |
| Carl Filtsch | 1830 | Piano | 6 | Composed concerto at thirteen; died at age fourteen [11] |
| Charly García | 1951 | Piano | 5 | Gave his first public recital at age five, became a music professor at age twelve. |
| Cory Henry | 1987 | Piano, Organ | 6 | Began playing both the piano and the B3 organ at two years old; played a recital at the Apollo Theater when he was six. [12] [13] |
| Josef Hofmann | 1876 | Piano | 10 | [14] |
| Evgeny Kissin | 1971 | Piano | 10 | Entered music school at age six [15] |
| Alicia de Larrocha | 1923 | Piano | 5 | She gave her first public performance at the age of five at the International Exposition in Barcelona. [16] |
| Franz Liszt | 1811 | Piano | 9 | Performed first major concert at age eleven [17] |
| Maria Anna Mozart | 1751 | Harpsichord, fortepiano | 7 | Performed all over Europe with her father Leopold and brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Her career was thwarted by the gender roles of her time, and her domineering father demanded she marry. [18] |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1756 | Piano, violin, composition | 4 | One of the most prolific composers of the Classical Era. Performed all over Europe with his father Leopold and sister Nannerl [19] |
| Sergei Prokofiev | 1891 | Piano | 9 | Composed an opera at age nine |
| Camille Saint-Saëns | 1835 | Piano | 5 | Gave his first public recital at age five |
| Ruth Slenczynska | 1925 | Piano | 6 | She played her debut in Berlin at age six and made her debut in Paris with a full orchestra at seven years of age. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] |
| Name | Born | Talent | Debut [lower-alpha 1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nino Rota | 1911 | Composer | 8 | First piano composition at age eight; attended Milan Conservatory at age 9; first opera performed publicly at age eleven [25] |
| Ethan Bortnick | 2000 | Composer, pianist | 7 | Ethan began playing a keyboard at the age of three and was composing music by the age of five. [26] [27] He is able to play any song by ear. [28] |
| Morton Gould | 1913 | Composer, conductor, pianist | 6 | [29] |
| Samuel Barber | 1910 | Composer, conductor | 7 | Attempted an opera at age ten; attended the Curtis Institute of Music at age fourteen [30] |
| Frédéric Chopin | 1810 | Composer | 7 | Began concerts and polonaises at age seven; attained notability by age fifteen [31] |
| Alma Deutscher | 2005 | Composer, pianist, violinist | 6 | Composed first piano sonata at age six, first violin concerto at age nine, and first full-length opera, Cinderella, at age ten. [32] |
| Felix Mendelssohn | 1809 | Composer, conductor | 9 | [33] |
| Gian Carlo Menotti | 1911 | Composer | 7 | Composed first opera at age eleven [34] |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1756 | Composer | 4 | His first compositions were Andante (K. 1a) and Allegro (K. 1b) [35] |
| Niccolò Paganini | 1782 | Composer, violinist | 7 | [36] |
| Erich Wolfgang Korngold | 1897 | Composer, conductor | 9 | Started composing at age 7. Wrote cantata at age 9 and first ballet, ‘Der Schneemann’ at age 11. |
| Sergei Prokofiev | 1891 | Composer, pianist, and conductor | Composed first piano piece at age 5. First operetta, ‘The Giant’ composed at age 9. | |
| César Franck | 1822 | Composer, organist, pianist, teacher | Attempted piano concerto at age 12 and cantata at age 13 among other various works. | |
| Gian Carlo Menotti | 1911 | Composer, librettist, playwright, director | Started composing at 7; wrote first opera, ‘The Death of Pierrot’ at age 11. | |
| Evgeny Kissin | 1971 | Pianist and Composer | Started composing significant output at age 7 including early work, ‘Petrushka.’ | |
| Anton Rubinstein | 1829 | Pianist, composer, conductor | Composed piano etude, ‘Ondine’ at age 11. | |
| Clara Schumann | 1819 | Pianist, composer, piano teacher | Composed 4 polonaises at 10, piano sonata at age 13, and premiered her own piano concerto age age 14-15. | |
| Franz Liszt | 1811 | Composer, pianist, conductor, teacher | Was the only child composer to write for a set of Diabelli variations at age 11, and composed opera at age 13. | |
| André Mathieu | 1929 | Composer and pianist | Wrote etudes and other works at age 4; piano concertino at age 7 preformed with orchestra. | |
| Jay Greenberg | 1991 | Composer | Entered Juilliard school at age 10; first symphony at age 11 | |
| Sergei Rachmaninoff | 1873 | Composer, pianist | Wrote first published work, Piano Piece in D-minor at age 11; many other pieces in teen years; Piano Concerto No.1 composed from age 17-18. | |
| Camille Saint-Saens | 1835 | Composer, organist, conductor, and pianist | Wrote first pieces at age 3 | |
| Ferruccio Busoni | 1866 | Pianist, composer, conductor, editor, writer, and educator | Composed quartet at age 11 | |
| Franz Schubert | 1797 | Composer, pianist, violinist | Composed various works from a young age | |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works representing virtually every Western classical genre of his time. Many of these compositions are acknowledged as pinnacles of the symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral repertoire. Mozart is widely regarded as being one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, with his music admired for its "melodic beauty, its formal elegance and its richness of harmony and texture".
Alfred Brendel is an Austrian classical pianist, poet, author, composer, and lecturer who is noted for his performances of Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven.
Murray David Perahia is an American pianist and conductor. He is widely considered one of the greatest living pianists. He was the first North American pianist to win the Leeds International Piano Competition, in 1972. Known as a leading interpreter of Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann, among other composers, Perahia has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards from a total of 18 nominations, and 9 Gramophone Awards in addition to its first and only "Piano Award".
Yundi Li, also known mononymously as Yundi, is a Chinese classical concert pianist. Yundi is especially known for his interpretation of Chopin and Liszt. He is also referred as a Master in Chopin and one of the finest interpreters of Chopin.
Noam David Elkies is a professor of mathematics at Harvard University. At the age of 26, he became the youngest professor to receive tenure at Harvard. He is also a pianist, chess national master and a chess composer.
Jay "Bluejay" Greenberg is an American composer and former child prodigy who entered the Juilliard School in 2002 at age 10.
Final Fantasy VII is a role-playing video game by Square as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. Released in 1997, the game sparked the release of a collection of media centered on the game entitled the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. The music of the Final Fantasy VII series includes not only the soundtrack to the original game and its associated albums, but also the soundtracks and music albums released for the other titles in the collection. The first album produced was Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack, a compilation of all the music in the game. It was released as a soundtrack album on four CDs by DigiCube in 1997. A selection of tracks from the album was released in the single-disc Reunion Tracks by DigiCube the same year. Piano Collections Final Fantasy VII, an album featuring piano arrangements of pieces from the soundtrack, was released in 2003 by DigiCube, and Square Enix began reprinting all three albums in 2004. To date, these are the only released albums based on the original game's soundtrack, and were solely composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu; his role for the majority of subsequent albums has been filled by Masashi Hamauzu and Takeharu Ishimoto.
Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork III is an American composer and educator. He was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in Albany, New York, where he studied violin, piano, organ, and voice. He currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Rafał Blechacz is a Polish classical pianist who rose to fame after winning the XV International Chopin Piano Competition in 2005.
Ruth Slenczynska is an American pianist with Polish roots.
Fou Ts'ong was a Chinese-born British pianist who was the first pianist of his national origin to achieve international recognition. He came to prominence after winning third prize and the Polish Radio Prize for the best performance of mazurkas in the 1955 V International Chopin Piano Competition, and remained particularly known as an interpreter of Chopin's music.
The music of the video game Final Fantasy VIII was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack, a compilation of all music in the game, was released on four Compact Discs by DigiCube in Japan, and by Square EA in North America. A special orchestral arrangement of selected tracks from the game—arranged by Shirō Hamaguchi—was released under the title Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec Final Fantasy VIII, and a collection of piano arrangements—performed by Shinko Ogata—was released under the title Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII.
Alex Timbers is an American writer and director best known for his work on stage and television. He has received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Drama Desk Award, as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Grammy Award. Timbers received the Drama League Founder's Award for Excellence in Directing and the Jerome Robbins Award for Directing.
Cyprien Katsaris is a French-Cypriot virtuoso pianist, teacher and composer. Amongst his teachers were Monique de la Bruchollerie, a student of Emil von Sauer, who had been a pupil of Franz Liszt. He is known for his refined sound, extreme command of voicing, and virtually effortless physical mastery of technique.
Norman Shetler is a pianist, puppeteer and puppet constructor, and piano professor. Originally from America, he now lives in Austria.
Charlie Albright is an American pianist and composer. He is an official Steinway Artist, 2014 Avery Fisher Career Grant Recipient, 2010 Gilmore Young Artist (2010) and former Young Concert Artist. He graduated from Harvard College (AB) and the New England Conservatory (MM) as the first classical pianist in the schools' five-year AB/MM Joint Program, was named the Leverett House Artist in Residence for 2011–2012, and was one of the 15 Most Interesting Seniors of the Harvard College Class of 2011. He graduated from the Juilliard School of Music with his post-graduate Artist Diploma (AD) in 2014.
Albertine Morin-Labrecque was a Canadian pianist, soprano, composer, and music educator. Her compositional output includes 4 ballets, 2 comic operas, the Chinese opera Pas-chu, 2 concertos for two pianos, the symphonic poem Le Matin, numerous symphonic works, and compositions for band. Her works have been published by a variety of companies. A square and a street in Montreal were named after her in 1984.
Teodor Currentzis is a Greek conductor, musician and actor.
Alma Elizabeth Deutscher is a British composer, pianist, violinist and conductor. A former child prodigy, Deutscher composed her first piano sonata at the age of five; at seven, she completed the short opera, The Sweeper of Dreams, and later wrote a violin concerto at age nine. At the age of ten, she wrote her first full-length opera, Cinderella, which had its European premiere in Vienna in 2016 under the patronage of conductor Zubin Mehta, and its U.S. premiere a year later. Deutscher's piano concerto was premiered when she was 12. She has lived in Vienna, Austria, since 2018. She made her debut at Carnegie Hall in 2019 in a concert dedicated to her own composition.
Ruth Lowther Kemper was an American violinist, music educator, conductor, and arts administrator. She was executive director of the Turtle Bay Music School from 1956 to 1969.
For the purposes of this and future research, a prodigy was defined as a child younger than 10 years of age who has reached the level of a highly trained professional in a demanding area of endeavor.
At the moment, the most widely accepted definition is a child, typically under the age of 10, who has mastered a challenging skill at the level of an adult professional.
| Name | Born | Instrument | Debut [lower-alpha 1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles-Valentin Alkan | 1813 | Piano | 5 | Entered Paris Conservatoire at age 5, youngest ever admission. [1] |
| Martha Argerich | 1941 | Piano | 4 | Orchestral debut at age eight [2] |
| Kit Armstrong | 1992 | Piano | 5 | Concerto debut at eight; Morton Gould Young Composer Award for five consecutive years [3] |
| Claudio Arrau | 1903 | Piano | 5 | Could read notes before letters [4] |
| Daniel Barenboim | 1942 | Piano | 7 | [5] |
| Emily Bear | 2001 | Piano | 5 | Composed and released her first piano album at age five [ citation needed ] |
| Vincenzo Bellini | 1801 | Piano | 5 | Began studying music theory at two, the piano at three, and by the age of five could apparently play well |
| Lili Boulanger | 1893 | Piano, violin, cello, harp | 6 | Attended Louis Vierne's organ classes at the Paris Conservatoire at age six [6] |
| Frédéric Chopin | 1810 | Piano | 7 | Wrote his first composition, a polonaise, which is still studied and performed today. [7] |
| Georges Cziffra | 1921 | Piano | 9 | Entered the Franz Liszt Academy at age nine, after some four years performing in a traveling circus |
| Carl Filtsch | 1830 | Piano | 6 | Composed concerto at thirteen; died at age fourteen [8] |
| Charly García | 1951 | Piano | 5 | Gave his first public recital at age five, became a music professor at age twelve. |
| Cory Henry | 1987 | Piano, Organ | 6 | Began playing both the piano and the B3 organ at two years old; played a recital at the Apollo Theater when he was six. [9] [10] |
| Josef Hofmann | 1876 | Piano | 10 | [11] |
| Evgeny Kissin | 1971 | Piano | 10 | Entered music school at age six [12] |
| Alicia de Larrocha | 1923 | Piano | 5 | She gave her first public performance at the age of five at the International Exposition in Barcelona. [13] |
| Franz Liszt | 1811 | Piano | 9 | Performed first major concert at age eleven [14] |
| Maria Anna Mozart | 1751 | Harpsichord, fortepiano | 7 | Performed all over Europe with her father Leopold and brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Her career was thwarted by the gender roles of her time, and her domineering father demanded she marry. [15] |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1756 | Piano, violin, composition | 4 | One of the most prolific composers of the Classical Era. Performed all over Europe with his father Leopold and sister Nannerl [16] |
| Sergei Prokofiev | 1891 | Piano | 9 | Composed an opera at age nine |
| Camille Saint-Saëns | 1835 | Piano | 5 | Gave his first public recital at age five |
| Ruth Slenczynska | 1925 | Piano | 6 | She played her debut in Berlin at age six and made her debut in Paris with a full orchestra at seven years of age. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Name | Born | Talent | Debut [lower-alpha 1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nino Rota | 1911 | Composer | 8 | First piano composition at age eight; attended Milan Conservatory at age 9; first opera performed publicly at age eleven [22] |
| Ethan Bortnick | 2000 | Composer, pianist | 7 | Ethan began playing a keyboard at the age of three and was composing music by the age of five. [23] [24] "World's Smartest Kids". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2024-04-07.</ref> |
| Morton Gould | 1913 | Composer, conductor, pianist | 6 | [25] |
| Samuel Barber | 1910 | Composer, conductor | 7 | Attempted an opera at age ten; attended the Curtis Institute of Music at age fourteen [26] |
| Frédéric Chopin | 1810 | Composer | 7 | Began concerts and polonaises at age seven; attained notability by age fifteen [27] |
| Alma Deutscher | 2005 | Composer, pianist, violinist | 6 | Composed first piano sonata at age six, first violin concerto at age nine, and first full-length opera, Cinderella, at age ten. [28] |
| Felix Mendelssohn | 1809 | Composer, conductor | 9 | [29] |
| Gian Carlo Menotti | 1911 | Composer | 7 | Composed first opera at age eleven [30] |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1756 | Composer | 4 | His first compositions were Andante (K. 1a) and Allegro (K. 1b) [31] |
| Niccolò Paganini | 1782 | Composer, violinist | 7 | [32] |
| Erich Wolfgang Korngold | 1897 | Composer, conductor | 9 | Started composing at age 7. Wrote cantata at age 9 and first ballet, ‘Der Schneemann’ at age 11. |
| Sergei Prokofiev | 1891 | Composer, pianist, and conductor | Composed first piano piece at age 5. First operetta, ‘The Giant’ composed at age 9. | |
| César Franck | 1822 | Composer, organist, pianist, teacher | Attempted piano concerto at age 12 and cantata at age 13 among other various works. | |
| Gian Carlo Menotti | 1911 | Composer, librettist, playwright, director | Started composing at 7; wrote first opera, ‘The Death of Pierrot’ at age 11. | |
| Evgeny Kissin | 1971 | Pianist and Composer | Started composing significant output at age 7 including early work, ‘Petrushka.’ | |
| Anton Rubinstein | 1829 | Pianist, composer, conductor | Composed piano etude, ‘Ondine’ at age 11. | |
| Clara Schumann | 1819 | Pianist, composer, piano teacher | Composed 4 polonaises at 10, piano sonata at age 13, and premiered her own piano concerto age age 14-15. | |
| Franz Liszt | 1811 | Composer, pianist, conductor, teacher | Was the only child composer to write for a set of Diabelli variations at age 11, and composed opera at age 13. | |
| André Mathieu | 1929 | Composer and pianist | Wrote etudes and other works at age 4; piano concertino at age 7 preformed with orchestra. | |
| Jay Greenberg | 1991 | Composer | Entered Juilliard school at age 10; first symphony at age 11 | |
| Sergei Rachmaninoff | 1873 | Composer, pianist | Wrote first published work, Piano Piece in D-minor at age 11; many other pieces in teen years; Piano Concerto No.1 composed from age 17-18. | |
| Camille Saint-Saens | 1835 | Composer, organist, conductor, and pianist | Wrote first pieces at age 3 | |
| Ferruccio Busoni | 1866 | Pianist, composer, conductor, editor, writer, and educator | Composed quartet at age 11 | |
| Franz Schubert | 1797 | Composer, pianist, violinist | Composed various works from a young age | |
| Blind Tom Wiggins | 1849 | Composer, pianist | Composed music from the age 4-5 including pieces like ‘The Rainstorm’ He and was able to memorize entire speeches with nuances. | |
| Name | Born | Instrument | Debut [lower-alpha 1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles-Valentin Alkan | 1813 | Piano | 5 | Entered Paris Conservatoire at age 5, youngest ever admission. [1] |
| Martha Argerich | 1941 | Piano | 4 | Orchestral debut at age eight [2] |
| Kit Armstrong | 1992 | Piano | 5 | Concerto debut at eight; Morton Gould Young Composer Award for five consecutive years [3] |
| Claudio Arrau | 1903 | Piano | 5 | Could read notes before letters [4] |
| Daniel Barenboim | 1942 | Piano | 7 | [5] |
| Emily Bear | 2001 | Piano | 5 | Composed and released her first piano album at age five [ citation needed ] |
| Vincenzo Bellini | 1801 | Piano | 5 | Began studying music theory at two, the piano at three, and by the age of five could apparently play well |
| Lili Boulanger | 1893 | Piano, violin, cello, harp | 6 | Attended Louis Vierne's organ classes at the Paris Conservatoire at age six [6] |
| Frédéric Chopin | 1810 | Piano | 7 | Wrote his first composition, a polonaise, which is still studied and performed today. [7] |
| Georges Cziffra | 1921 | Piano | 9 | Entered the Franz Liszt Academy at age nine, after some four years performing in a traveling circus |
| Carl Filtsch | 1830 | Piano | 6 | Composed concerto at thirteen; died at age fourteen [8] |
| Charly García | 1951 | Piano | 5 | Gave his first public recital at age five, became a music professor at age twelve. |
| Cory Henry | 1987 | Piano, Organ | 6 | Began playing both the piano and the B3 organ at two years old; played a recital at the Apollo Theater when he was six. [9] [10] |
| Josef Hofmann | 1876 | Piano | 10 | [11] |
| Evgeny Kissin | 1971 | Piano | 10 | Entered music school at age six [12] |
| Alicia de Larrocha | 1923 | Piano | 5 | She gave her first public performance at the age of five at the International Exposition in Barcelona. [13] |
| Franz Liszt | 1811 | Piano | 9 | Performed first major concert at age eleven [14] |
| Maria Anna Mozart | 1751 | Harpsichord, fortepiano | 7 | Performed all over Europe with her father Leopold and brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Her career was thwarted by the gender roles of her time, and her domineering father demanded she marry. [15] |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1756 | Piano, violin, composition | 4 | One of the most prolific composers of the Classical Era. Performed all over Europe with his father Leopold and sister Nannerl [16] |
| Sergei Prokofiev | 1891 | Piano | 9 | Composed an opera at age nine |
| Camille Saint-Saëns | 1835 | Piano | 5 | Gave his first public recital at age five |
| Ruth Slenczynska | 1925 | Piano | 6 | She played her debut in Berlin at age six and made her debut in Paris with a full orchestra at seven years of age. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Name | Born | Talent | Debut [lower-alpha 1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nino Rota | 1911 | Composer | 8 | First piano composition at age eight; attended Milan Conservatory at age 9; first opera performed publicly at age eleven [22] |
| Ethan Bortnick | 2000 | Composer, pianist | 7 | Ethan began playing a keyboard at the age of three and was composing music by the age of five. [23] [24] "World's Smartest Kids". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2024-04-07.</ref> |
| Morton Gould | 1913 | Composer, conductor, pianist | 6 | [25] |
| Samuel Barber | 1910 | Composer, conductor | 7 | Attempted an opera at age ten; attended the Curtis Institute of Music at age fourteen [26] |
| Frédéric Chopin | 1810 | Composer | 7 | Began concerts and polonaises at age seven; attained notability by age fifteen [27] |
| Alma Deutscher | 2005 | Composer, pianist, violinist | 6 | Composed first piano sonata at age six, first violin concerto at age nine, and first full-length opera, Cinderella, at age ten. [28] |
| Felix Mendelssohn | 1809 | Composer, conductor | 9 | [29] |
| Gian Carlo Menotti | 1911 | Composer | 7 | Composed first opera at age eleven [30] |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1756 | Composer | 4 | His first compositions were Andante (K. 1a) and Allegro (K. 1b) [31] |
| Niccolò Paganini | 1782 | Composer, violinist | 7 | [32] |
| Erich Wolfgang Korngold | 1897 | Composer, conductor | 9 | Started composing at age 7. Wrote cantata at age 9 and first ballet, ‘Der Schneemann’ at age 11. |
| Sergei Prokofiev | 1891 | Composer, pianist, and conductor | Composed first piano piece at age 5. First operetta, ‘The Giant’ composed at age 9. | |
| César Franck | 1822 | Composer, organist, pianist, teacher | Attempted piano concerto at age 12 and cantata at age 13 among other various works. | |
| Gian Carlo Menotti | 1911 | Composer, librettist, playwright, director | Started composing at 7; wrote first opera, ‘The Death of Pierrot’ at age 11. | |
| Evgeny Kissin | 1971 | Pianist and Composer | Started composing significant output at age 7 including early work, ‘Petrushka.’ | |
| Anton Rubinstein | 1829 | Pianist, composer, conductor | Composed piano etude, ‘Ondine’ at age 11. | |
| Clara Schumann | 1819 | Pianist, composer, piano teacher | Composed 4 polonaises at 10, piano sonata at age 13, and premiered her own piano concerto age age 14-15. | |
| Franz Liszt | 1811 | Composer, pianist, conductor, teacher | Was the only child composer to write for a set of Diabelli variations at age 11, and composed opera at age 13. | |
| André Mathieu | 1929 | Composer and pianist | Wrote etudes and other works at age 4; piano concertino at age 7 preformed with orchestra. | |
| Jay Greenberg | 1991 | Composer | Entered Juilliard school at age 10; first symphony at age 11 | |
| Sergei Rachmaninoff | 1873 | Composer, pianist | Wrote first published work, Piano Piece in D-minor at age 11; many other pieces in teen years; Piano Concerto No.1 composed from age 17-18. | |
| Camille Saint-Saens | 1835 | Composer, organist, conductor, and pianist | Wrote first pieces at age 3 | |
| Ferruccio Busoni | 1866 | Pianist, composer, conductor, editor, writer, and educator | Composed quartet at age 11 | |
| Franz Schubert | 1797 | Composer, pianist, violinist | Composed various works from a young age | |
| Blind Tom Wiggins | 1849 | Composer, pianist | Composed music from the age 4-5 including pieces like ‘The Rainstorm’ He and was able to memorize entire speeches with nuances. | |