Her skilled violin playing caught the attention of the director of the Royal College of Music, who hailed Vanessa-Mae as a " true child prodigy, like Mozart and Mendelssohn. " This wonder kid began performing early in her career, and she appeared with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of ten. By the time she was thirteen, Vanessa-Mae had already released three classical CDs, had gone on an international tour with the London Mozart players, and had been on TV many times.