Some people were born special: Be it through art, music, mathematics, or language, they simply understand one of these aspects better than everyone else. Alma Deutscher is one of them, a true music prodigy who has showcased her genius since a very young age. She wrote an entire opera at the age of 10, and became a piano master at 12. This is widely considered an impossible feat, for you need to have deep knowledge and years of practice and try to create an opera on your own, yet it’s something Alma can produce at just 10 years of age.

Her unique ability to blend classical complexity with enchanting melodies has drawn comparisons to Mozart, leading to performances with prestigious orchestras and appearances on major global stages. Some even say that the young prodigy’s first language wasn’t English or German, but the music of Mozart herself.

So, is it true that Alma’s first language was Mozart? Was she always able to see music this way ever since she was born? Here’s what the young talent got to share in a recent interview with Scott Pelley.

When asked about her earliest musical memory, Alma recalled how she listened to a soothing lullaby by Richard Strauss when she was three. At that age, she already learned how to play piano and violin as well, while other kids are still struggling to run.

Alma also shared that it was completely normal for her to walk around and have random melodies popping into her head. To the British native, it’s as natural as she eats and breathes.

Alma’s parents, Guy and Janie, are professors. While Janie teaches old English literature, Guy is a linguist. Both are also amateur musicians, and it was Guy who influenced their daughter on how to read music.

“She wouldn’t be able to imagine life without dreams and stories and music. That’s as unimaginable to her as it is strange for other people to think about a girl with melodies in her head,” said Janie, Alma’s mother.

Alma’s completed opera tells the story of Cinderella, but it’s a tad bit different from the original story that we all know.  In this version, Cinderella is a composer, who finds a poem composed by Prince Charming, decides to put music into it, and sings it to the prince himself in the ball.

“I think that it makes much more sense if he falls in love with her because she composed this amazing melody to his poem, because he thinks that she’s his soul mate, because he understands her,” said Alma.

While she adores Mozart as her influencer, Alma isn’t fond of how people keep comparing her to the late composer. “I think I would prefer to be the first Alma than to be the second Mozart,” she explained.

According to Alma, she also has a lot of imaginary composers in her head. To Alma, each composer stands for a country, and writes a specific kind of emotion. Sometimes, the girl will ask these “composers” for advice when she’s stuck in a rut.

For someone her age, Alma Deutscher is truly a one-of-a-kind talent, who doesn’t just study music, but also lives and breathes with it. You can check out all of Alma’s current and future projects on her own website here.