Figure 1.--This image of Floriel Von Reuter was taken about 1905. An HBC contributor has forwared a post card with this image that was cancelled in 1905. Thephotograph may be slightly older. He wears a dark kneepants sailor suit with a buttonup jacket and white shirt underneath.

There are many famous child music prodigies. The most famous is certainly Mozart in the 18th Century, but there have been many others in the 19th and 20th Century. The clothing they wore for their performances were often examples of contemporary formal boys' clothing. Often as they began to grow up their parents liked to keep dressing them in juvenile clothes to emphasize that they were childhood prodigies. I've just begun this page, but would be interested in any comments or contributions by HBC viewers. Here are some of the child prodigies I know of any available information on how they were dressed as boys:

Segovia, Andrés (Spain, 1893?- ): Andrčs Segovia was the seminal force in the development of the guitar as a concert instrument in the twentieth century. He made his public debut in Granada in 1909, at the age of 16 years, and established his reputation in his native country with appearances in Madrid, Barcelona, and other leading centers of Spanish music during the next several years. His tour of South Americain 1919 created a sensation, as did his debuts in Paris (1924), Moscow (1926), and New York (1928). Segovia's aims for the guitar, however, extended far beyond merely establishing a career for himself as a virtuoso. "From my youthful years," he wrote, "I dreamed of raising the guitar from the sad artistic level in which it lay. Since then, I have dedicated my life to four essential tasks.Thefirst: to separate the guitar from mindless folklore-type entertainment. My second purpose: to make the beauty of the guitar known to the public of the entire world. The third task: that of influencing the authorities at conservatories, academies, and universities to include the guitar in their instruction programs on the same basis as the violin, cello, piano, etc. And my fourth item of labor: to endow it with a repertory of high quality, made up of works possessing intrinsic musical value, from the pens of composers accustomed to writing for orchestra, piano, violin, etc. The first symphonic composer to heed my request, offering to collaborate with me, was Federico Moreńo Torroba."

Sgouros, Dmitris (Greece, 1974- ): Dmitris at 14 years of age perfor ed one of the best Rachmaninoff Nr. 3 concertos ever recorded. He played several times at the TV (more than all other prodigy children around the world). He was compared with Maria Callas who was from Greece as he. It was said he could play the 2nd Brahms concerto after reading one time. I remember having seen him in short pants at the age of 12 playing the 1st ballada by Chopin. It was during 4 years when he was regularly accompanied by the press. This was in 1988, and since that he has disappeared.

Stern, Issac (Russia/U.S., 1920- ): HBC has not yet had time to research Issac Stern in any detail. We know that he is considered by most musical experts to be one of the greatest musicians of all time. One scholar hailed Stern as "one of the supreme violinists of this century". He also has been called "the first American violin virtuoso." He calls himself "a fiddle player." Issac was born on July 21, 1920, at Kreminiwcz, Russia. Before Issac was less than 1-year old, his parents in 1921 fled with him from the caos and fighting of the Russian Revolution and subsequent civi war between the Reds and Whites. The Stern family settled in San Francisco, California. Stern of course does not remember Russia as he left at such an early age. His parents were talented musisians in their own right. His mother studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. She began teaching Issac the piano when he was 6 years old. Issac began playing the Violin at the advanced age 8 years. Most violin prodigies began at an earlier age. It was not until age 13-14 that he made his first public recital with the San Francisco Symphony playing a Brahms Violin Concerto. Some biographers clainm his debut was at age 11, so we are not sure at this time. Issac 2 yerars later at the age of 16 launched his professional career. He performed with Naoum Blinder, his major teacher and concertmaster of the orchestra. On October 11, 1937, at the age of 17, he made his New York debut at Town Hall. In 1943, he debuted at Carnegie Hall, and in 1944, with the New York Philharmonic under Arthur Rodzinski. He played with the New York Philharmonic for more than 4 decades. HBC. A reader reports, "It is my understanding that the impression of dressing a prodigy younger than they were went on in the 20th century. Isaac Stern is a good example of this. In his case it was done to make him look younger and thus more remarkable than he really was."

Thibaud, Jacques (France, 1880-1953): Jacques Thibaud was born in Bordeaux in 1880. His graceful, elegant style of the Franco-Belgian viloin school. His father was a music teacher, at wanted Jacques to be a pianist, but it was the violin that young Jacques loved. His first recital was at age 8 years. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at age 12 and studied under Martin Marsick. He palyed poorly in the 1894 contest, but took a first prize in 1896. Edouard Colonne heard him in the Paris Café Rouge and recruited for his orchestra. When the leader was not able to play the Prélude to Saint-Saëns’s Le Déluge, Thibaud substituted for him and was soon a regular soloist, appearing 54 times in the 1898-99 season. He toured America in 1903-04 and his success made him into a recognized master. Thibaud helped set up the Ecole Normale. He was a friend of the pianist Marguerite Long. The two reciorded together and established a school and musical competition which bear their names. Thibaud loved to teach. He taught both at the school, and in summer at his St Jean de Luz estate on the Bay of Biscay near Beritz. One of his important students was American prodigy Grisha Goluboff during the early 1930s. Thibaud died in 1953 when the plane taking him on an Asian tour crashed on Mont Cemet, near Barcelonette.

Thomas, Michael Tilson (United States, 1944- ) Michael was born in Los Angeles on December 21, 1944. He is the third generation of his family to follow an artistic career. Internationally acclaimed as both conductor and composer, Tilson Thomas writes in a colorful, eclectic style that reflects his passion for the diversity of American musical life. He began his formal studies at the University of Southern California where he studied piano with John Crown and conducting and composition with Ingolf Dahl. At age 19, he was named Music Director of the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra. In 1969, after winning the Koussevitzky Prize at Tanglewood, Tilson Thomas was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Principal Conductor of the Great Woods Festival and Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Tilson Thomas began his tenure in September 1995 as the San Francisco Symphony's 11th Music Director in a contract that extends through the year 2000. He and the orchestra have also signed an exclusive contract with BMG Classics/RCA Victor Red Seal which will yield 15 recordings over the next five years. He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the New World Symphony.

Tomokazu Murakami: (Japan, 1980- ) Tomokazu Murakami was a boy soparano singer. He isn't well-known now because boy soparanoa are not especially popular in Japan and he performed in the late 1980s and early 90s.

Tyler, Cyril: (United States, 1890s) We have virtually no information on Cyril Tyler, except that he was billed as a phenomenal boy soprano. A portrait of him was taken in New Yourl City. It is undated, bit looks to have been taken in the 1890s. Cyril wears short curls and an all white outfit including a fancy Fauntleroy blouse. He looks to be about 13 years old.

Underwood, Willie F.: (United States, 1851?- ) We have been able to find virtually no information on this American child prodigy. He is, however, of special interest becuause we have obtained a quarter-plate daguerreotype of him. This is the oldest photographic image that we have of any prodigy. The boy is identified in the intact full-case as Willie F. Underwood, and dated 1855. He looks to be about 4 or 5 years old. Willie appears seated on a draped stool or chair with the drapery slightly tinted red. The boy is dressed in finery that only a mother could love, with ruffles, velvet, and the wildest plaid stockings.

Volans, Kevin Volans (South Africa, 1949- ): Kevin has lived in Ireland since 1986 and is an Irish citizen. He was born on July 26, 1949 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. In 1972 he graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, followed by post-graduate study at the University of Aberdeen. From 1973 until 1981 he lived in Cologne where he was a pupil of Karlheinz Stockhausen at the Musikhochschule and later his teaching assistant (1975-76). He also studied with Mauricio Kagel (music theatre), Aloys Kontarsky (piano), and electronic music (1976-1980). During this time he worked as a freelance composer, where, before moving on to his African-based pieces, his work was associated with the so-called New Simplicity. His other activities included four field trips recording African music on behalf of the West German Radio (WDR Köln), writing many programmes for the WDR, Belgian Radio and the Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) and co-editing Feedback Papers with Johannes Fritsch. From 1982 to 1984 he taught composition at the University of Natal, Durban, where he was awarded a D Mus in 1985. After this he returned to freelance composition, moving to Paris in 1985 and to Cork in 1986. In 1984 and 1986 he was on the board of professors of the Darmstadt International Summer Course for New Music and in 1988 on the jury of the International Computer Music Conference (Cologne). From 1986 to 1989 he was Composer-in-Residence at Queen's University, Belfast, and in 1992 he was Composer-in-Residence at Princeton University, New Jersey. He is currently resident in Dublin.

Figure 4.--This is Franz Von Vecsev. I assume he is German, but I also know little about him. The image suggests that he was a rather self-assured boy. He looks to about 13 years old here.

Von Reuter, Floriel (US, 1890-1985): Floriel Von Reuter was an accomplished violinist. As a boy a photograph shows that he wore an elegant kneepants sailor suit with long stockings. It had a button blouse with a white short waist underneath. A cancelled British postcard was dated 1905, but Floriel looks to be about 10 years old. Florizel was born Florizel Reuter on January 21, 1890 in Davenport, Iowa. His father was a musician and minor composer named Jacob Reuter. His first professional concert was in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland in about 1900. This was presumably at about the same time the photograph was taken. One HBC contributor notes that he read some short comment by him about Paganinni, so he clearly became a rather important violin virtuoso, after being a musical prodigy.

Von Vecsev, Franz (German, ?): I have no details about Franz, other than he was also an accomplished violinist. As a boy about 13 years old the photographs shows he wore a white kneepants sailor suit with a stripped dickey. He wears his kneepants and short socks. The image suggests that he was a rather self-assured boy.

Wiggins, Thomas (United States, 1849-1908): Thomas Wiggins for much of his life was known as Thomas Bethune which was the name of his slave master, "General" James Bethune. (Slave women and their children commonly took the last name of their owner.) The American public came to know him as Blind Tom the negro boy pianist. Thomas was the son slaves Domingo Wiggins and Charity Greene. Thomas was born blind and appears to have also been autistic. It is diificult to properly diagnose Tom's conditionbecause of the limitations of 19th century medecine. He might be called a "autistic savant". Bethune purchased the two adults and Thomas was included at no extra cost--quite a irony as he was to prove arguably the most valuable slave in America. Thomas's father was a field hand, but his mother worked in the plantation mannor house and it was here that Tom was introduced to music.

Wright, Denis (England, 1926- ): Denis Wright is another of the famed English boy sophtanos during the 1930s and 40s. The choristers became greatly appreciated during the early days of radio before the advent of television. Commercial radio and the BBC appeared in the 1920s and tghe advent of programs to educate and entertain. Radio made many singers household names and the record companies supplied the demand for their records. Throughout the 1920s, 30s, and 40s many exceptional choir boy singers found fame on the radio because of their extraordinary singing ability. One of these youthful radio and record personalities was Denis Wright. A HBC reader has created an interesting page on Denis Wright.

Unknown boy (American, early 1920s): HBC has no details about the provinance of this portrait. We believe that the boy is American. He is probably having his portrait taken before or after a music reciatal in an outfirt his mother created. It is possible, however, that he was a minor prodigy involved in show business. This is suggested by the inscription on the portrait, "Mike, the Boy Wonder". We believe the poortrait was taken in the early 1920s. Interestingly, while the boy presumably had little to say about his outfit, he almost ceratinly selected the drums himself. It seems unlikely that the mother who chose this outfit would have chosen the drums for her aspiring musician.

Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Main Chronology Page]
[The 1880s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s]
[The 1960s] [The 1970s] [The 1980s]

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Kilts] [Caps] [Sailor suits] [Sailor hats] [School uniform] [Scout]

Created: December 31, 1998
Last updated: 8:04 AM 11/11/2007