Frédéric Chopin

Frederic Francois Chopin was a Polish composer, virtuoso pianist, and music teacher of French–Polish parentage. He was one of the great masters of Romantic piano music. Chopin was born in Zelazowa Wola, a village in the Duchy of Warsaw. He was considered a child prodigy and, after completing his musical education and following the Russian suppression of the Polish 1830 Uprising, he settled in Paris. He supported himself as a composer and piano teacher, giving few public performances. From 1837 to 1847 he carried on a relationship with the French woman writer George Sand. For most of his life, Chopin suffered from poor health; he died in Paris in 1849 at the age of 39. The vast majority of Chopin's works are for solo piano, the most notable exceptions being his two concertos. His compositions, though technically demanding, emphasize nuance and expressive depth. Chopin invented the musical form known as 'instrumental ballade' and made major innovations to the piano sonata, mazurka, waltz, nocturne, polonaise, etude, impromptu, scherzo, and prelude.