Active Years: 1809-1847

Position: German composer.

Career Highlights: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Octet, and Reformation Symphony.

Career Totals: 4 symphonies, several overtures, many chamber works, dozens of works for piano and organ, and several works for chorus and orchestra.

Scouting Report: A real child prodigy, Felix Mendelssohn grew up in a wealthy and distinguished Jewish family. His father, however, was concerned that they “fit in,” so he converted his family to Christianity and changed the family last name to the Christian sounding Bartholdy. This conflict played an important role in Mendelssohn’s life, although if his father had changed their last name to Unger, it probably would have been worse. His family had weekend musicales, where the children’s music was performed. No, really. This was before the age of TV when people actually did this sort of stuff together on weekends. His music is known for its lightness and sometimes almost elfin quality, especially in the dance movements and scherzos. Always elegant, his melodies often contrast with light rhythmic figures in a magical sort of way. He is also credited with rediscovering the music of Bach, which was almost completely unknown at the time.

Teammates and Contemporaries: Because the family was independently wealthy, Mendelssohn didn’t actually need patrons, but he wrote many pieces for the royalty of the day.

Fun Statistic: His sister, Fanny, was also a very talented musician and composer, but her music was almost never performed in public due to the fact that music wasn’t thought an appropriate career for a woman.