List of music prodigies

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As a novelty several children have become popular as singers or musicians. There are, however, numerous cases of children, those at or under 11, who display a talent or skill in music deemed to make them competitive with adult musicians. This is devoted to such young musicians and listed by the style of music for which they are best known.

Contents 1 Classical or Opera 1.1 Piano and Organ 1.2 String section 1.3 Composition and Conducting 2 Non-classical genres predating WWII 2.1 Country or Bluegrass 2.2 Folk and World music 2.3 Blues 2.4 Jazz and Jazz-fusion 3 Post-war genres 3.1 R&B/Soul/Funk 3.2 Pop music 3.3 Alternative or Rock 3.4 Hip-Hop/Rap 4 Autistic savant prodigies 5 See also 6 References and Further reading

[edit] Classical or Opera

[edit] Piano and Organ

• Isaac Albéniz-Public performance at age 4.[1]
• Martha Argerich-Public performance at age 4. Orchestral debut at age 8.[2]
• Claudio Arrau-First public concert at 5. Could read notes before letters.[3]
• Steve Barakatt-First public concert at 5. Guest soloist of Quebec Synmphonic Orchestra at 13.

[4]]

• Daniel Barenboim-First concert at age seven.[5]
• Enrique Batiz-Public performance at 5.[6](now a conductor)
• Victor Borge-Full scholarship to the Royal Danish Music Conservatory at the age of 9.[7]
• Lili Boulanger-At six she attended Louis Vierne's organ classes at the Paris Conservatoire.[8]
• Sandrine Erdely-Sayo- Perpignan Conservatory at 4; Paris Superior Conservatory at 14.

.

• Carl Filtsch-Pianist who performed throughout Europe under royal patronage at 6. Composed concerto at 13. Died at 14.[9]
• Louis Moreau Gottschalk-Debut at 11 and moved to Europe for classical training at 13.[10]
• Józef Hofmann-American debut at age ten.[11]
• Natan Brand-Israeli born, americal classical pianist, made his orchestral debut at age 11.
• Evgeny Kissin-Entered music school at 6.[12]
• Lang Lang-Started at 2, Beijing Conservatory at 8, and won international competitions at 13.[13]
• Franz Liszt-First concert at 9, major concert at 11.[14]
• Ervin Nyíregyházi[15]
• Leo Ornstein-He entered Saint Petersburg Conservatory at ten.[16]
• Ernest Schelling-Debut at four, studies in Europe at seven.[17]
• Philippa Schuyler-On tour at 11 as a concert pianist.[18]
• Ruth Slenczynska-Piano prodigy, played with a full orchestra at 11, and writer of Forbidden Childhood[19]
• Alicia Witt-At 7, played classical piano and won several piano competitions in the years that followed.[20]

[edit] String section

• Linda Brava - World-wide tours at 8, début at 11, leader of the prestigious Helsinki Juniorstrings at 13. [21][22]
• Sarah Chang-Played with professional orchestras(plural) by age eight.[23]
• Midori Goto-Debut at 11.[24]
• Ida Haendel-Prizewinner in Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition at age 6 [25]
• Jascha Heifetz-Conservatory and major concerts at ten[26]
• Yehudi Menuhin-Successful debut at seven.[27]
• Stefan Milenković -- First international award at seven, played with major orchestra with 10 [28]
• David Oistrakh-Debut at age six.[29]
• Gregor Piatigorsky-At the Moscow Conservatory by age 11, heading a quartet at 15.[30]
• Jacqueline du Pré-Successful cellist at eight.[31]
• Michael Rabin (violinist)-First professional appearance at ten, could "keep beat" at age 1.[32]
• Ruggiero Ricci-Debut at ten, international tours at 14.[33]
• Clara Rockmore-As a violinist she became the youngest to enter the Imperial Conservatory at age five.(More known as a thereminist)[34]

Kevin Tuleta - Debut at age 16 as 'Thrasher' in The Lakewood Project.

[edit] Composition and Conducting

• Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga-Composing at 11 and a two-act opera at thirteen.[35]
• Samuel Barber-Composing at age seven, attempted an opera at age ten, and attended the Curtis Institute of Music at 14.[36]
• Georges Bizet-Paris Conservatoire at age 10.[37]
• Frédéric Chopin-Concerts and polonaises at seven, well-known composer by 15.[38]
• Ruth Gipps-Debut at four and first composition at age 8[39]
• Morton Gould-Published composer at age six.[40]
• Jay Greenberg-Composing young and attended Juilliard School at 10.[41]
• Erich Wolfgang Korngold-Composer at 11.[42]
• Lorin Maazel-Conductor at age seven.[43]
• Felix Mendelssohn-Debut at 9, composing by 12.[44]
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-See Symphony No. 1 (Mozart) and WKSU
• Niccolò Paganini-Composing before he turned 8, performing at 12.[45]
• Henry Purcell-Composed an ode for Charles II of England's birthday at age 11.[46]
• Josef Rheinberger-Composing at seven, attended the Academy of Music in Munich at 12.[47]
• Camille Saint-Saëns - His first composition was before he turned 4.[48]
• Julian Scriabin - A son of a composer who had a few compositions before his death at age 11.[49]

[edit] Non-classical genres predating WWII

[edit] Country or Bluegrass

• Billy Gilman - He had a hit single at 11.[50] and was nominated for a Grammy Award against adult competition at 12.[51]
• Alison Krauss - She won local competitions at ten and was named most promising Midwestern fiddler at age 12.[52]
• Brenda Lee - Debut at 10.[53]
• Chris Thile - A founder of Nickel Creek at age 8.[54] and referred to as a prodigy by 12.[55]

[edit] Folk and World music

• Areti Ketime-Started at 6, performed at the 2004 Summer Olympics at 14.[56]
• Adán Sánchez-First album at age 11.[57]
• Wajahat Khan. Performed internationally as a singer at the age of 8.
• Zulkifli Mohamed Amin. First successful composition at the age of 13.

[edit] Blues

• Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Started at 7, onstage with professionals at 13.[58]
• Joe Bonamassa - Started playing the guitar at age 4, opened for B.B. King at age 12. [59]

[edit] Jazz and Jazz-fusion

• Shelly Berg - He entered the Cleveland Institute of Music at age six and was a professional musician at 13.[60]
• Terri Lyne Carrington - Full scholarship to Berklee College of Music at 11.[61]
• Cyrus Chestnut - He entered the Peabody Institute at nine.[62]
• Cy Coleman - Played Carnegie Hall at 7 (Also did some pop music)[63]
• Harry Connick Jr - Keyboards at the age of three, played publicly at 6 and recorded Dixieland Plus with a local jazz band at 10.
• Taylor Eigsti-He opened for David Benoit at the age of 8 and played with Dave Brubeck at 12.[64]
• Steve Gadd - Sat in on professional drums at age 11.[65]
• Herbie Hancock - A classical prodigy who played with the Chicago symphony at age 11, but most known for jazz which he switched to in college.[66]
• Wynton Marsalis - Started on trumpet at age 6, in a church band at 8, and by 14 he performed with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra(does a good deal of classical too)
• Buddy Rich - Began playing drums at 18 months old, by age eleven he was a bandleader.[67]
• Hilton Ruiz - At eight he performed at Carnegie Recital Hall and at nine he played in an accordion symphony[68][69]
• Consuelo Velázquez-Began playing at 4[70], concerto at 6[71], and wrote Bésame Mucho at 16.
• Mary Lou Williams - Taught herself piano before age five, played professionally by thirteen.[72]
• Ryan Williams - Taught himself to play Alto, Soprano, Tenor, and Baritone saxophones before the age of 8,and played professionally by the age of 14 [73]

[edit] Post-war genres

[edit] R&B/Soul/Funk

• The Jackson 5 - Family skilled with instruments and performing at an early age.
• Michael Jackson - Most talented member of the Jackson 5, Michael's dancing, singing and performing abilities had already equaled or surpassed his older siblings when he joined the band at 5. Grew up to become an international superstar selling over 750 million records worldwide.(announced by Guinnes Book of Records in 2006)
• Gladys Knight - Began at four, at seven won on the Original Amateur Hour, and at 8 on tour.[74]
• New Edition - Group included Bobby Brown recorded their first album while the members were in their early teens.
• Bianca Ryan - Already a regular performer of The Star-Spangled Banner at Philadelphia-area professional sporting events, Ryan was 11 years old when she won the début season of NBC's America's Got Talent.
• Stevie Wonder - Skilled at multiple instruments early, signed to Motown at 11, and first US number-one hit at 13.[75]
• Bernie Worrell - He was originally classically trained and wrote a concerto at age eight.[76]
• Christina Aguilera - Performed The Star-Spangled Banner in her adolescence/teen years and was known for her "big voice" at a young age.

[edit] Pop music

• Dido-She attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at six years old.[77]
• Marvin Hamlisch- At seven he was the youngest student ever accepted by the Juilliard School of Music. (also jazz)[78]

[edit] Alternative or Rock

• Tori Amos - At five she was the youngest person, at that time, to attend the Peabody Institute[79]
• Björk - Classical study at five and an album before turning 12.[80]
• Jimmy Page - Started playing guitar before the age of 9. Became the disputed greatest guitarist of the 1960s and 1970s.
• Jordan Rudess - Entered Juilliard at 9 years old (His original training was classical)
• Steve Winwood - Was backing blues legends at age 13 on United Kingdom tours. Became the keyboardist for The Spencer Davis Group at age 15.
• Michael Angelo Batio - Composed music for piano by age 5. He is also reguarded as one of the most technically sound guitarists alive.
• Conor Oberst - Released first album when age 13.
• Jackson Ruggiero- started drums at age 5 and now 14 could possibly be one of the greatest young drummers of all time. He's starred in numerous talent shows and has been in several bands over the past few years.

[edit] Hip-Hop/Rap

• Bow Wow - Successful debut at 12, started career at 6.[81]
• Kris Kross - Successful debut at 11.
• Lil Wayne - Began his rap career at age 13.

[edit] Autistic savant prodigies

• Tony DeBlois-Started playing piano at 2.
• Thristan Mendoza-Declared a prodigy at marimba at eight by the University of the Philippines.
• Derek Paravicini-At the age of 9 he played with Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra in London.
• Matt Savage-He taught himself to read music at age six and at seven he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music.
• Blind Tom Wiggins-Composing at six. (Now believed to have been an autistic-savant, but such a diagnosis did not exist in his lifetime)[82]

[edit] See also

• List of child prodigies
• List of musicians

[edit] References and Further reading

• Musical Prodigies: Masters at an Early Age by Renee B. Fisher ISBN 0-8096-1854-0
• Musical Prodigies : Perilous Journeys, Remarkable Lives by Claude Kenneson[83] ISBN 1-57467-046-8