A six-year-old boy of Indian origin, Shivankh Varun Varadharajan, has earned a Guinness World Record for an extraordinary display of musical genius: identifying the Most classical music composers identified by ear in one minute (male).
Shivankh, a German–Tamil prodigy born in Dubai, successfully recognised excerpts from the works of 16 different classical composers in just 60 seconds.
The remarkable feat, achieved on September 14, saw him correctly name legendary masters such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Vivaldi from short, randomised audio clips.
According to his mother, Yalini Varadharajan, Shivankh’s profound connection to music was evident from the age of two-and-a-half. She noted that her son, who is neurodivergent, experiences the world uniquely, often describing people and moods in terms of composers’ styles. “Music is how he ‘feels and communicates’,” she explained. “Numbers and music often ‘blend together in kind of a harmony’ for him.”
Shivankh’s achievement highlights his rare ability to discern complex compositions purely by ear and is a testament to the power of nurturing a child’s unique passion.
