1986–2004: Early life and education

Born on March 28, 1986 in New York City, New York, the eldest child of Joseph and Cynthia (née Bissett) Germanotta, she is of Italian heritage. At age 11, she was set to join Juilliard School in Manhattan, but instead attended Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private Roman Catholic school. Playing piano by ear from the age of 4, she went on to write her first piano ballad at 13 and began performing at open mic nights by age 14.At age 17, she gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. There, she studied music and improved her songwriting skills by composing essays and analytical papers focusing on topics such as art, religion and socio-political order. She later withdrew from the school to focus on her musical career.