Frédéric Chopin

Born in Żelazowa Wola, near Warsaw, on March 1, 1810, Frédéric Chopin showed unusual musical gifts early and grew up in Warsaw, where he completed his education and wrote many of his first works. He left Poland in 1830 and, while still very young, settled in Paris, the city where he would build his career.

Unlike many of the great virtuosos of his time, he preferred the more intimate world of salons to frequent large public concerts. He became admired not only for his refined, expressive piano playing but also for music that stretched the instrument’s possibilities with subtle harmony, rhythmic freedom, and a distinctly personal voice. Most of his works are for solo piano, and among the best known are his mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, ballades, études, preludes, and sonatas.

Chopin’s life was marked by intense artistic friendships, a long and troubled relationship with the writer George Sand, and years of poor health. He died in Paris on October 17, 1849, at just 39, but his music has remained central to the piano repertoire ever since, loved for its combination of brilliance, tenderness, and emotional honesty.