See also: Gilbert & Sullivan Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) was one of the foremost English composers of operetta in his day. He was born in London to a bandmaster, and had a knack for music innately. He studied music at Leipzig Conservatory, in Germany, where he met Franz Liszt and Edvard Grieg. Sullivan was a collaborator with William Schwenk Gilbert the playwright on many endeavors. He rose to instant fame with his "Savoy Operas": The The Pirates of Penzance (1878)