Frédéric Chopin

Frédéric-François Chopin (IPA: /ʃoˈpæn/) (March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849) is one of the most famous, influential and admired composers for the piano, and possibly Poland's most significant composer.

Frédéric-François Chopin (IPA: /ʃoˈpæn/) (March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849) is one of the most famous, influential and admired composers for the piano, and possibly Poland's most significant composer. He was born "Fryderyk Franciszek", of Polish and French parentage in the village of Żelazowa Wola, Poland. In Warsaw he was hailed as a child prodigy for his keyboard and composition skill. He adopted the French variant of his name, "Frédéric-François", when he left for Paris at the age of 20, having already composed his two piano concertos, and he never returned to live in Poland. In Paris he made a career as a performer and teacher as well as a composer. In 1836 he met the French writer George Sand, with whom he had a relationship for nine years until 1847. After suffering poor health for much of his life, his condition forced him to give up performing and teaching shortly before he died.

His compositions, which are almost exclusively for the piano, such as the Funeral March piano sonata and the twenty-four études, are widely considered to be amongst the pinnacles of the piano repertoire. Although some of his music is among the most technically demanding for the instrument, Chopin's style emphasizes poetry, nuance and expressive depth, rather than mere technical display. He is often cited as one of the mainstays of Romanticism in nineteenth-century classical music.