This Spring 2025 Season, our operas were written by composers who showed musical talent from an early age. Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Britten’s Peter Grimes may greatly differ in style, but they’re united in the fact that their composers could both be considered child prodigies. Join us as we look at the early work of a few composers who showed early musical promise and went on to have impressive careers.
Mozart
At the age of three, Mozart began playing the harpsichord and by the time he was five, he was scribbling out concertos. Mozart had written his first opera by age eleven (Apollo and Hyacinthus), and though he lived to just 35, he composed more than 600 works in his lifetime. His final piece of work Requiem remained unfinished when he passed.
Britten
Benjamin Britten studied composition as a child and flourished under the guidance of composer Frank Bridge. At 16 he wrote A Hymn for the Virgin, a choral anthem for a double chorus in the space of a single day from the bed of his school hospital wing, and it is one of many varied and impressive compositions that spanned his career. His final composition was String Quartet No.3, which premiered just two weeks after his death.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift had an early affinity for music, largely nurtured by her grandmother Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer who encouraged Taylor’s singing ability. She soon developed a love of country music, and performed in festivals from the age of 11, with her career officially beginning at age 14 when she signed a music publishing deal with Sony/ATV, thereby becoming the youngest signing in the company’s history. Her debut album was released when she was 16, and today at 35 she has released eleven original albums and is credited as a writer or co-writer on every song.
Barber
Samuel Barber was a keen young composer. He wrote his first piece Sadness, a 23-measure solo piano piece in C minor when he was just seven years old and his first operetta, The Rose Tree was written when he was 10 years old. A letter written to his mother when he was nine stated that he felt he was meant to be a composer and was sure that he would be. He clearly had foresight at a young age as well as musical flair as he became one of the most distinguished composers of the 20th Century, composing 48 Opus-length works and 103 songs.
Elton John
One example of a pop artist who has had great success after showing musical promise at a young age is Elton John. His piano and song writing skills were evident at age 11, winning him a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy, and at 15 he was hired as a pianist in a local pub. He released his debut album when he was 22 and at 77 he is still writing hits. Across his career, he has released more than 30 studio albums and six musicals including Aida, a musical theatre adaptation of the opera by the same name.
