composer
Edvard Grieg
Quick Facts Born in Norway Romantic Period Started to study the piano at the age of 6 (his mother taught him) At 16, he entered the Leipzig Conservatory Later, he moved to Copenhagen, where he met his cousin, Nina Hagerup, ...
Camille Saint-Saëns
Quick Facts Accomplished Composer, Conductor, Pianist, Organist Born in 1835 in Paris, France Child prodigy Started to study piano at the age of 2 Composed his first piece at the age of 3 Organist at church for 20 years First ...
George Frederick Handel
Handel Facts Born in Germany As a child, played harpsichord and organ Played violin, harpsichord, organ & piano Harpsichord – feather quills plucking strings Age 19, lived in Italy, wrote Italian operas, then oratorios Oratorio = like opera, but less = ...
Sergei Prokofiev
Quick Facts Russian composer, conductor and pianist one of the major composers of the 20th century born in part of the Russian Empire, now Ukraine as a child prodigy, wrote his first piano piece at age 5 and opera at ...
John Coltrane
Quick Facts Jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader One of the most influential jazz musicians Served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II, played in the base swing band Made some of his first recordings while in the ...
Branford Marsalis
Quick Facts Saxophonist and composer His father, Ellis Marsalis was pianist and jazz teacher, and his mother was a jazz singer. Three brothers are also jazz musicians. He has collaborated with musicians such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, ...
Wynton Marsalis
Quick Facts Trumpeter and composer Director of Jazz at Juilliard since 2014 His father, Ellis Marsalis was pianist and jazz teacher, and his mother was a jazz singer. Three brothers are also jazz musicians. Started studying trumpet at age of ...
Ravi Shankar
Quick Facts World’s most well-known expert of classical Indian music in the late 20th century As a child/teenager, studied music and dance; toured Europe and the U.S. with a dancing group At the age of 18, started to study the ...
Frédéric Chopin
Quick Facts One of the greatest composers of the Romantic Period Born in Poland Studied piano as a child and gave his first public performance at the age of 8 Wrote his first composition at the age of 6 Most ...
Antonio Vivaldi
Quick Facts Born in Venice (Italy) Composed music in the Baroque style Played the violin Was ordained as a priest, but devoted his life to music instead Wrote lots of music, including 46 operas and 500 concertos His music influenced ...
