Eliane Rodrigues was born in Rio de Janeiro. The fact that she was a child prodigy was noticeable at a very early age: she started composing at three, played her first recital at five, and performed with an orchestra at the ages of six and seven. From that moment on, she won prizes at numerous regional and national competitions, going on to win the special prize at the Van Cliburn Competition in the USA when she was just 18. She won the public's prize at the 1983 Queen Elisabeth Competition as well as finishing 5th.