List of people with absolute pitch

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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}

This is a list of notable people with absolute pitch, or "perfect pitch".

Note for pre-19th century composers

Owing to uncertainty in the historical record, it is often impossible to determine whether composers and musicians of the past had absolute pitch. Since absolute pitch is rare in European musical culture,{{cite journal |author=Deutsch, D |title=The enigma of absolute pitch |journal=Acoustics Today |year=2006 |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=11–19 |doi=10.1121/1.2961141 |url=http://philomel.com/pdf/Acoustics_Today_2006.pdf |access-date=March 3, 2022 |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124204955/http://www.philomel.com/pdf/Acoustics_Today_2006.pdf |url-status=live }} claims that any particular musician possessed it are difficult to evaluate. Among composers of the Baroque and Classical eras, evidence is available only for Mozart, who is documented to have demonstrated the ability at age 7. Experts have only surmised that Beethoven had it, as indicated from some excerpts from his letters. By the 19th century, it became more common for the presence of absolute pitch to be recorded, such as in the case of Camille Saint-Saëns and John Philip Sousa.

List

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File:Mariah Carey WBLS 2018 Interview 2.jpg]]

File:Madame Kirsten Flagstad, Norwegian soprano "The Home" August 1938.jpg]]

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File:Michael Jackson in 1988.jpg]]

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="margin: 0 auto; text-align:"

|+Persons with absolute pitch

! scope="col"| Name

! scope="col"| Year of birth

! scope="col"| Year of death

! scope="col"| Description

scope="row"|Bill Bailey{{Cite web|title=Perfect Pitch: 'I knew the hoover was playing B flat' {{!}} BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03q44rl|website=BBC Radio Wales |date=April 5, 2006}}

|1965

|{{n/a|(living)}}

|British comedian, musician and actor

scope="row"|Ludwig van Beethoven

|1770

|1827

|German composer and pianist

scope="row"|Joshua Bell{{Cite book |last=Deutsch |first=Diana |title=Musical illusions and phantom words: how music and speech unlock mysteries of the brain |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-020683-3 |location=New York |pages=82, 101}}

|1967

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American violinist and conductor

scope="row"|Nikolai Bernstein{{Cite book |last=Latash |first=Mark L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Rj9DwAAQBAJ |title=Bernstein's Construction of Movements: The Original Text and Commentaries |date=2020 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-21386-7}}

|1896

|1966

| Russian scientist

scope="row"|Mariah Carey{{Cite web|date=September 30, 2019|title=Perfect Pitch and How It Works|url=https://www.signia-hearing.com/blog/perfect-pitch-and-how-it-works/|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=Signia Hearing Aids|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028173446/https://www.signia-hearing.com/blog/perfect-pitch-and-how-it-works/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=The Mysteries of Perfect Pitch {{!}} Psychology Today|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/articles/200607/the-mysteries-perfect-pitch|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=www.psychologytoday.com|language=en|archive-date=March 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303204740/https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/articles/200607/the-mysteries-perfect-pitch|url-status=live}}

|1969

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer

scope="row"|Ray Charles

|1930

|2004

| American musician

scope="row"|Frédéric Chopin

|1810

|1849

|Polish composer and pianist

scope="row"|Jacob Collier{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2020 |title=Millennial Mozart: The boundless creative genius of Jacob Collier |url=https://newatlas.com/music/jacob-collier/ |access-date=March 22, 2022 |website=New Atlas |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Killian |first=Anais |title=The Genius of Jacob Collier |url=https://registerforum.org/11651/arts-entertainment/the-genius-of-jacob-collier/ |access-date=March 22, 2022 |website=The Register Forum}}

|1994

|{{n/a|(living)}}

|English singer, composer and producer

scope="row"|Celine Dion{{Cite web|title=The Mysteries of Perfect Pitch {{!}} Psychology Today|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/articles/200607/the-mysteries-perfect-pitch|website=www.psychologytoday.com}}

|1968

|{{n/a|(living)}}

|Canadian singer

scope="row"|Ella Fitzgerald{{Cite news |title=Ella Fitzgerald: America's First Lady Of Song |language=en |work=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2010/03/29/125170386/ella-fitzgerald-americas-first-lady-of-song |access-date=March 14, 2022}}

|1917

|1996

|American jazz singer

scope="row"|Kirsten Flagstad{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Glenn Daniel |author-link=Glenn Wilson (psychologist) |date=1994 |title=Psychology for Performing Artists: Butterflies and Bouquets |location=London and Bristol, Pennsylvania |publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers |page=161 |isbn=1-85302-166-0 |quote=When soprano Kirsten Flagstad suffered a serious ear ailment that rendered her virtually deaf, for over a year she was able to carry on singing major Wagnerian roles at the Metropolitan Opera using only her own absolute pitch and visual contact with the conductor.}}

|1895

|1962

| Norwegian opera singer

scope="row"|David Foster{{Cite book |last=Foster |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I7XuxKnoyq8C&q=biography+%2522perfect+pitch%2522 |title=Hitman: Forty Years Making Music, Topping the Charts, and Winning Grammys |date=2009 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4391-6665-9}}

|1949

|{{n/a|(living)}}

|Canadian musician, producer

scope="row"|Charly García{{cite news |last=Moreira |first=Vanessa |date=November 3, 2020 |title=Charly García y su gran don: el oído absoluto |trans-title=Charly García and his great gift: absolute pitch |url=https://970universal.com/2020/11/03/charly-garcia-y-su-gran-don-el-oido-absoluto/ |language=Spanish |work=970 Universal |access-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612222500/https://970universal.com/2020/11/03/charly-garcia-y-su-gran-don-el-oido-absoluto/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Jofre |first=Alejandro |date=October 23, 2017 |title=Carlitos antes de Charly: el oído absoluto de García |trans-title=Carlitos before Charly: García's perfect pitch |url=https://www.latercera.com/culto/2017/10/23/carlitos-charly-oido-absoluto-garcia/ |language=Spanish |work=La Tercera |access-date=June 12, 2021}}

|1951

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| Argentine singer-songwriter, musician and record producer

scope="row"|Glenn Gould{{cite book |last=Ostwald |first=Peter F. |title=Glenn Gould: The Ecstasy and Tragedy of Genius |date=1997 |publisher= W. W. Norton |location=New York |isbn=978-0-393-04077-7 |page=68}}

|1932

|1982

| Canadian classical pianist

scope="row"|Jascha Heifetz{{Cite book |last=Kopytova |first=Galina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NfMiAQAAQBAJ |title=Jascha Heifetz: Early Years in Russia |date=2013 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-01089-6 |pages=113}}

|1901

|1987

| Russian-American violinist

scope="row"|Whitney Houston{{Cite web|title=Whitney Houston Has The Perfect Pitch, But That's Not All She's Remembered For|date=May 12, 2020|url=https://www.thethings.com/whitney-houston-perfect-pitch-life-facts-controversies-career/|access-date=March 3, 2022|archive-date=January 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104150114/https://www.thethings.com/whitney-houston-perfect-pitch-life-facts-controversies-career/|url-status=live}}

|1963

|2012

| American singer and actress

scope="row"|Michael Jackson{{Cite web|title=What actually is perfect pitch – and how do I get it?|url=https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/music-theory/what-is-perfect-pitch-which-singers/|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=Classic FM|language=en|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108002330/https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/music-theory/what-is-perfect-pitch-which-singers/|url-status=live}}

|1958

|2009

| American singer, songwriter and dancer

scope="row"|James P. Johnson{{Cite book |last1=Gates (Jr.) |first1=Henry Louis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_vRLcgEdGoC |title=Harlem Renaissance Lives from the African American National Biography |last2=Higginbotham |first2=Evelyn Brooks |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-538795-7 |pages=295}}

|1894

|1955

| American pianist and composer

scope="row"|Scott Joplin{{cite book |last=Frew |first=Tim |date=1996 |title=Scott Joplin & the Age of Ragtime |series=The Life, Times & Music Series |location=New York |publisher=Friedman/Fairfax Publishers |page=35 |isbn=1-56799-304-4 |quote=Born with perfect pitch, Scott quickly picked up songs on his family's old, battered reed organ.}}

|1868

|1917

| American composer and pianist

scope="row"|Carole King{{cite web|title=Carole King Biography and Interview|website=www.achievement.org|publisher=American Academy of Achievement|url=https://www.achievement.org/achiever/carole-king/#interview|access-date=February 6, 2020|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812065224/https://achievement.org/achiever/carole-king/#interview|url-status=live}}

|1942

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American singer, songwriter, and musician

scope="row"|Dimash Kudaibergen{{cite web|url=https://www.nur.kz/1503157-babushka-dedushka-dimasha-dali-eksklyuz.html|title=Бабушка и дедушка Димаша дали эксклюзивное интервью|publisher=NUR Kazakhstan|access-date=February 16, 2020|language=ru}}

|1994

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| Kazakh singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist

scope="row"|Gary Moore{{cite magazine |last=Shapiro |first=Harry |author-link=Harry Shapiro (author) |date=February 6, 2022 |title=How Gary Moore reignited the British blues scene with the help of a famous guitar |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/gary-moore-the-story-of-still-got-the-blues |magazine=Classic Rock |publisher=Future plc |access-date=February 26, 2025}}

|1952

|2011

|Northern Irish musician

scope="row"|W. A. Mozart{{Cite web |title=Social Sciences |url=https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/soc/dpitchdeutsch.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113101150/http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/soc/dpitchdeutsch.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=ucsdnews.ucsd.edu}}

|1756

|1791

|Austrian composer

scope="row"|Frederick Ouseley{{Cite book |last=Sacks |first=Oliver |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wuyZiwgsBdoC |title=Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain |date=2008 |publisher=Knopf Doubleday |isbn=978-1-4000-3353-9 |pages=130}}

|1825

|1889

| English musician, professor

scope="row"|Derek Paravicini{{Cite web |date=March 3, 2021 |title=Meet the blind, autistic piano genius, who can play any piece after hearing it once |url=https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/blind-autistic-genius-derek-paravicini-improvisations/ |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=Classic FM }}

|1979

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| British pianist, musical savant

scope="row"|Itzhak Perlman

|1945

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| Israeli-American violinist

scope="row"|Lucky Peterson{{cite web |url=https://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/featured-interview-lucky-peterson/ |title=Featured Interview – Lucky Peterson |last=Gunther |first=Marty |date=June 28, 2019 |website=Blues Blast Magazine |access-date=December 14, 2023 |quote=I had perfect pitch, so I didn't have a problem knowin' where they were.}}

|1964

|2020

| American musician

scope="row"|Oscar Peterson{{Cite book |last=Batten |first=Jack |title=Oscar Peterson: The Man and His Jazz |date=2012 |publisher=Tundra |isbn=978-1-77049-362-9 |pages=21}}

|1925

|2007

| Canadian jazz pianist

scope="row"|Charlie Puth{{cite news |last=Jupp |first=Emily |date=January 29, 2016 |title=Charlie Puth interview: Being bullied for pitch perfect talent and Selena Gomez's advice on dealing with negativity |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/charlie-puth-interview-being-bullied-pitch-perfect-talent-and-selena-gomez-s-advice-dealing-negativity-a6841501.html |work=The Independent |access-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518163213/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/charlie-puth-interview-being-bullied-pitch-perfect-talent-and-selena-gomez-s-advice-dealing-negativity-a6841501.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Maddy Shaw |date=December 3, 2020 |title=Yes, Charlie Puth has perfect pitch. He's also a piano major, Rachmaninov stan and jazz improvisor |url=https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/charlie-puth-perfect-pitch-loves-rachmaninov-jazz-improvisation/ |work=Classic FM |access-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814082518/https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/charlie-puth-perfect-pitch-loves-rachmaninov-jazz-improvisation/ |url-status=live }}

|1991

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American singer, songwriter, and record producer

scope="row"|Sviatoslav Richter

|1915

|1997

| Russian classical pianist

scope="row"|Arthur Rubinstein

|1887

|1982

| Polish-American pianist

scope="row"|Jordan Rudess{{Cite web |last=Rogerson |first=Ben |date=2023-10-17 |title=“Not what I expected at all”: here’s what happened when Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess was asked to play along to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind, a song he’d never heard before |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/jordan-rudess-alicia-keys-jay-z |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=MusicRadar}}

|1956

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American keyboardist for Dream Theater

scope="row"|Lea Salonga{{Cite web|title=What Regine Velasquez refuses to do in singing talent search show|url=https://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/28249/what-regine-velasquez-refuses-to-do-in-singing-talent-search-show|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=PEP.ph|language=en|archive-date=December 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210132557/https://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/28249/what-regine-velasquez-refuses-to-do-in-singing-talent-search-show|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Messenger|title=Broadway Legend Lea Salonga Performs at Pepperdine in April|url=https://messengermountainnews.com/broadway-legend-lea-salonga-performs-at-pepperdine-in-april/|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=M'Online|language=en-US|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127050924/https://messengermountainnews.com/broadway-legend-lea-salonga-performs-at-pepperdine-in-april/|url-status=live}}

|1971

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| Filipina singer, actress, producer, and columnist

scope="row"|Sheryn Regis{{Cite web|title=What Regine Velasquez refuses to do in singing talent search show|url=https://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/28249/what-regine-velasquez-refuses-to-do-in-singing-talent-search-show|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=PEP.ph|language=en|archive-date=December 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210132557/https://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/28249/what-regine-velasquez-refuses-to-do-in-singing-talent-search-show|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Messenger|title=Broadway Legend Lea Salonga Performs at Pepperdine in April|url=https://messengermountainnews.com/broadway-legend-lea-salonga-performs-at-pepperdine-in-april/|access-date=November 28, 2020|website=M'Online|language=en-US|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127050924/https://messengermountainnews.com/broadway-legend-lea-salonga-performs-at-pepperdine-in-april/|url-status=live}}

|1979

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| Filipina singer, actress, host

scope="row"|Artur Schnabel{{Cite book |last=Saerchinger |first=Cesar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jftnDQAAQBAJ |title=Artur Schnabel: A Biography |date=2013 |publisher=Read Books |isbn=978-1-4474-9551-2}}

|1882

|1951

| Austrian-American classical pianist

scope="row"|James Scott{{Cite book |last1=Christensen |first1=Lawrence O. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6gyxWHRLAWgC |title=Dictionary of Missouri Biography |last2=Foley |first2=William E. |last3=Kremer |first3=Gary |date=1999 |publisher=University of Missouri Press |isbn=978-0-8262-6016-1 |page=681}}

|1885

|1938

| American ragtime composer

scope="row"|Art Tatum

|1909

|1956

| American jazz pianist

scope="row"|Arturo Toscanini

|1867

|1957

| Italian conductor

scope="row"|Brian Wilson{{cite book|last=Lambert|first=Philip|title=Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: the Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7XsZAQAAIAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Continuum|isbn=978-0-8264-1876-0|page=2|access-date=March 3, 2022|archive-date=May 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515190704/https://books.google.com/books?id=7XsZAQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}

|1942

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and co-founder of the Beach Boys

scope="row"|Stevie Wonder

|1950

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American musician

scope="row"|Yo-Yo Ma{{Cite web |title=Singing the praises of perfect pitch |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-04-27-0604270008-story.html |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en}}

|1955

| {{n/a|(living)}}

| American cellist

{{clear}}

References