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The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius<\/a><\/strong> died at the impressively old age of 91. His close contemporary Richard Strauss<\/a><\/strong> also notched up an estimable 85 years, despite a life that was often fraught with difficulty. Neither, however, came close to the American Elliott Carter, who was still composing shortly before his death at the age of 103.<\/p> Not all are so lucky. Below, in descending order, we list the composing greats who didn\u2019t even make it to 40 years old\u2026<\/p> Chopin<\/a><\/strong> is one of classical music’s great prodigies: he showed exceptional musical talent from an early age and gave his first public concert at age seven. Just as well he got on with it, really, as his life was cut all too short by illness.<\/p> By his twenties, Chopin had moved to Paris, where he became a central figure in the developing Romantic<\/a><\/strong> music scene, known for his highly expressive, technically demanding compositions.<\/p>
Composers who died young, part one<\/h2>
Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin (died aged 39 years, 7 months)<\/h3>