Frédéric Chopin.

Chopin studied piano under Wojciech Zywny from 1816 to 1822 and wrote his first compositions at age seven. Warsaw hailed him as a second Mozart after his birth in Zelazowa Wola, Poland, in 1810. His father Nicolas was a French professor at the Warsaw Lyceum, and his mother Tekla was related to the Polish Countess Skarbkowa. From 1826 to 1830 he attended the Warsaw Conservatory under Wilhelm Wurfel and Josef Elsner, and in 1829 he heard Niccolò Paganini play, which influenced his style.

In 1829 Chopin premiered his Piano Concerto No. 1 in F minor in Vienna and later that year gave solo concerts there. The following year he introduced his Piano Concerto No. 2 in E minor at the National Theatre in Warsaw. After the Russian invasion of Poland in 1830, he composed the Revolutionary Etude in C minor. He emigrated to Paris, where he met Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz, and established himself as a composer and teacher. His most productive period was from 1839 to 1843 at George Sand’s estate in Nohant, where he completed the 24 Preludes and many other works.

In 1836 Chopin proposed to Maria Wodzinska, but her mother called off the engagement under the influence of George Sand. Sand, a flamboyant writer, pursued Chopin and dominated his life for nine years. Their relationship, which began in 1837, was turbulent; Sand witnessed the completion of his 24 Preludes on Mallorca in 1839. They quarreled over Sand’s daughter Solange, leading to a final break. Chopin suffered from bronchial asthma and tuberculosis, and Sand’s lifestyle conflicted with his need for quiet.

Chopin’s music continues to be performed worldwide; his piano works anchor the repertoire. He became the first major composer photographed, with a known portrait from 1847. His request for Mozart’s Requiem drew four thousand mourners, including Berlioz and Delacroix. His sister Ludwika smuggled his heart to Warsaw in 1850 and interred it at Holy Cross Church. Musicians remember Chopin for his poetic piano compositions and innovative harmonies.