Alma Deutscher

Alma Elizabeth Deutscher (born 2005) is an English composer, pianist and violinist who lives with her parents in Dorking, Surrey, England. At age seven, she completed her first major composition, the opera The Sweeper of Dreams, which has been highly commended by the English National Opera.[1][2] Aged 9, she wrote a concerto for violin and orchestra, which she premièred herself in 2015.[3]

Life and work

Alma is the daughter of Janie (née Steen), an organ scholar, and Guy Deutscher, an Israeli-born linguist and amateur flautist.[4] According to her father, she could name the notes on a piano when she was two. "For her third birthday I bought her a little violin as a toy," he explains. "She was so excited by it and tried playing on it for days on end, so we decided to try and find her a teacher. Within less than a year she was playing Handel sonatas."[1][5] At the age of six she composed her first sonata and in 2012, an opera, The Sweeper of Dreams. Alma explains: "The music comes to me when I'm relaxing. I go and sit down on a seat or lie down. I like thinking about fairies a lot, and princesses, and beautiful dresses."[6]

Her short opera is based on the Neil Gaiman story "The Sweeper of Dreams". The text was adapted from The Calling by Elizabeth Adlington.[7] It was submitted to a contest run by the English National Opera but missed out on a place in the final.[5]

Compositions

Discography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 James Lachno, "Is Alma Deutscher the new Mozart?", The Telegraph, 12 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Alma Deutscher: Biography", Last.fm. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Concerto for violin and orchestra in G",. Retrieved 04 February 2015.
  4. ↑ http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/births/79885/deutscher
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Simon Usborne, "Composing an opera? It's just child's play, says Britain's newest classical music prodigy", The Independent, 12 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  6. ↑ John Stevens, "Meet Little Miss Mozart: The miniature musician aged seven who has composed her own opera", Mail Online, 21 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "The Sweeper of Dreams – by Alma Deutscher". Mini Operas. Archive.org copy of 21 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "Sonata in E-flat by Alma Deutscher (aged 6), II-Fantasia (composed October 2011)", YouTube. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "Andante for Violin by Alma Deutscher (aged 6). Recorded: May 2011", YouTube. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Rondino (trio) for violin, viola and piano, by Alma Deutscher (7).", YouTube. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "The Sweeper of Dreams, an opera by Alma Deutscher (7)", YouTube. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Quartet movement in A major, aged 7",. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Sonata for viola and piano in C minor (1st movement), aged 8",. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "Quartet movement in G major, aged 8",. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "The Night Before Christmas, song to words by C. Moore, aged 8",. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  16. ↑ "Two songs from Cinderella: If I believe in love, and Reverie, aged 8",. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "Sonata for violin and piano (1st movement), aged 8",. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "Trio for violin, viola, and piano, aged 9",. Retrieved 04 February 2015.
  19. ↑ "Concerto for violin and orchestra in G, aged 9",. Retrieved 04 February 2015.
  20. ↑ "Dance of the Solent Mermaids, for symphony orchestra, aged 9",. Retrieved 04 February 2015.

External links