Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: musical prodigy

  • Felix Mendelssohn, musical prodigy

    Felix Mendelssohn made his musical debut at age nine. Born in Hamburg in 1809, he came from a distinguished German family that moved to Berlin in 1902. His grandfather and father had been successful businessmen who also made it a point to provide their children with an excellent education in the liberal arts. His grandfather…

  • Franz Liszt, best piano player in Europe

    Like Mozart and Mendelssohn, Franz Liszt was a musical prodigy. He played the piano when he was five years old. At eight, he could read difficult music, and two years later he was composing music himself. By age twelve he was ranked one of the best piano players in Europe.1 He was born in 1811…