American composer Samuel Barber was best known for his “Adagio for Strings,” which is widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music. He wrote his first music at the age of seven. At the age of 14, he entered the Curtis Institute to study voice, composition, and piano. Distinguishing himself in all three areas in school, he won the Joseph H. Bearns Prize from Columbia University for his “Violin Sonata,” which either has been lost or destroyed by Barber. Over his career he wrote an array compositions either commissioned or first performed by major performers such as Vladamir Horowitz and Leontyne Price.