Georg Friedrich Händel, known in English as George Frideric Handel, was a prolific and influential Baroque composer whose works have had a lasting impact on classical music. Born on February 23, 1685, in Halle, Duchy of Magdeburg, part of the Brandenburg-Prussia, Handel showed an early interest in music, despite his father's initial resistance to a musical career. His father, Georg Händel, was a barber-surgeon who had hoped his son would study law. However, Handel’s mother, Dorothea Taust, supported his musical interests.
By the age of seven, Handel had become proficient with the organ, and his talent was evident to all who heard him. His father eventually relented and allowed him to study under the local organist Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, who introduced him to a wide range of musical styles and compositions, laying a solid foundation for his future career.
Leonard Bernstein, an icon of 20th-century classical music, was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA. His birth name was Louis Bernstein, but he later adopted the name Leonard. From a young age, Bernstein displayed a remarkable talent for music, mastering the piano at a tender age and showing an innate understanding of harmony and melody.
Bernstein's formal musical education began at Harvard University, where he studied music theory with renowned composer Walter Piston. He continued his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he received training in conducting under the guidance of Fritz Reiner and composition with Randall Thompson. Despite his classical training, Bernstein was deeply influenced by jazz and other contemporary musical styles, which would later manifest in his compositions.
Robert Schumann was born on June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Saxony, which was then part of the Kingdom of Saxony. He was the youngest of five children in a family that valued literature and music, as his father, August Schumann, was a bookseller and publisher. His mother, Johanna Christiane, was less enthusiastic about his musical ambitions, preferring he pursue a stable career. Schumann's early life was steeped in the arts, with a particular affinity for literature, which would later influence his songwriting.
Schumann began piano lessons at a young age, displaying considerable talent. At the age of seven, he composed his first piece of music. His father recognized his potential and arranged for him to study under Friedrich Wieck, a prominent piano teacher. Despite this encouragement, Schumann’s formal education was initially directed towards law, a profession his mother preferred for him.
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was born on September 25, 1906, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His family was musically inclined; his mother, Sofia Vasilyevna Kokoulina, was a talented pianist who provided Shostakovich's first piano lessons. His father, Dmitri Boleslavovich Shostakovich, was a chemical engineer. Shostakovich demonstrated an early talent for music and began composing at a young age. He was accepted into the Petrograd Conservatory at the age of 13, where he studied under prominent composers such as Alexander Glazunov and Maximilian Steinberg.
Shostakovich's early works quickly gained attention. His First Symphony, composed as his graduation piece at the age of 19, was a critical success and established him as a significant new voice in Soviet music. This piece showcased his technical skill and innovative orchestration, traits that would characterize much of his later work.
Georges Bizet, born Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet on October 25, 1838, in Paris, France, was a French composer of the Romantic era, best known for his opera "Carmen". Despite his short life, Bizet left a significant mark on the world of classical music, particularly in opera.
Bizet was born into a musical family. His father, Adolphe Armand Bizet, was a singing teacher and composer, and his mother, Aimée Delsarte, was a gifted pianist. Recognizing his prodigious talent early on, Bizet’s parents supported his musical education. At the age of nine, he was admitted to the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied under esteemed teachers like Charles Gounod and Fromental Halévy.
Franz Liszt, one of the most renowned composers and virtuoso pianists of the 19th century, was born on October 22, 1811, in the village of Raiding, in the Kingdom of Hungary (now in Austria). His father, Ádám Liszt, was an amateur musician who played the piano, violin, and guitar, and worked as an overseer on the Esterházy estate. Recognizing Franz's prodigious talent early on, Ádám provided his son with his initial musical training.
By the age of six, Liszt was already showing remarkable musical abilities, composing simple pieces and performing in public. His talent caught the attention of Hungarian nobility, who sponsored his musical education. In 1821, the Liszt family moved to Vienna, where Franz studied under the legendary Carl Czerny for piano and Antonio Salieri for composition. His performances in Vienna were met with critical acclaim, earning him the admiration of luminaries such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Carl Czerny.
Jean Sibelius was a towering figure in the realm of classical music, celebrated for his evocative symphonies, tone poems, and chamber music. Born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius on December 8, 1865, in Hämeenlinna, Finland, he would later adopt the French form of his name, Jean, for its elegance and international appeal.
Sibelius came from a Swedish-speaking family in Finland, which was then a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire. He displayed an early aptitude for music, learning the violin and piano at a young age. However, it was not until he attended the University of Helsinki to study law that his passion for music truly flourished. He devoted much of his time to composing, and his talent soon outshone his interest in law.
Max Bruch, a luminary of the Romantic era, left an indelible mark on classical music with his captivating compositions and innovative approach to melody. Born on January 6, 1838, in Cologne, Germany, Bruch displayed prodigious musical talent from an early age. His father, a lawyer and amateur musician, recognized his son's gift and provided him with a solid musical education.
Bruch's formal training began at the age of nine when he entered the Cologne Conservatory. Under the tutelage of renowned composers such as Ferdinand Hiller and Carl Reinecke, he honed his skills in composition, violin, and piano. By the time he graduated, Bruch had already composed several works, showcasing his innate talent for melody and orchestration.
Franz Schubert, one of the most beloved composers of the 19th century, left an indelible mark on the world of classical music despite his tragically short life. Born on January 31, 1797, in Himmelpfortgrund, a suburb of Vienna, Schubert showed an early aptitude for music. His father, Franz Theodor Schubert, was a schoolmaster, and his mother, Elisabeth Vietz, was a cook in the service of Count Johann Karl Esterházy, a nobleman with a great appreciation for the arts.
Schubert’s musical talent was nurtured from a young age. At the age of six, he began receiving violin lessons from his father, and by the time he was seven, he was studying piano with his brother Ignaz. Recognizing his son’s exceptional musical ability, Franz Theodor Schubert arranged for young Franz to receive formal musical training at the Stadtkonvikt, a prestigious boarding school for choirboys in Vienna, where he studied under the renowned composer Antonio Salieri.
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, often referred to simply as Felix Mendelssohn, was a prominent composer, pianist, conductor, and music educator of the Romantic era. Born on February 3, 1809, in Hamburg, Germany, he was blessed with prodigious musical talent from an early age.
Mendelssohn was born into a wealthy and culturally enlightened family. His grandfather was the distinguished Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, and his father, Abraham Mendelssohn, was a successful banker. Despite his family's wealth, they faced discrimination due to their Jewish heritage, leading to their conversion to Christianity when Felix was just seven years old. As a result, the family added the name Bartholdy, the surname of a property they owned, to their own.