Who Was Frederic Chopin? Frederic Chopin was a renowned Polish French composer and pianist of the Romantic period, best known for his solo pieces for piano and his piano concerti who published his first composition at age of seven and began performing one year later, he was in high demand as a live performer.
Frederic Chopin was born on March 1, 1810, near Warsaw, Poland. His mother started teaching him to play piano when he was very young. As his talent grew, the family hired a musician named Wojciech Zywny to teach him.
However, Chopin soon surpassed his teacher. Before long, it became obvious that Chopin was a child prodigy. In 1826, Chopin entered the Warsaw Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Joseph Elsner. Three years later, he performed two concerts in Vienna, Austria. From there, his reputation as a great pianist spread far and wide.
As demand for his music grew, Chopin traveled throughout much of Europe. He continued to perform in Austria, Poland, and Germany. However, Chopin didn’t enjoy playing at concerts. When he moved to Paris, France, in 1832, he found himself in demand as a teacher and composer. He stayed in Paris, where he lived for most of his remaining years.
Chopin wrote his most famous pieces in the 1840s. This included such works as the Sonata in B Minor, the Opus 55 Nocturnes, and the Opus 56 Mazurkas. However, Chopin’s health also suffered during this time. He survived tuberculosis in 1839 but struggled with illness for the rest of his life.
Many of Chopin’s masterpieces were written during his summers spent in Nohant, France. He traveled there during warm months with the writer Aurore Dudevant (George Sand), with whom he had a long relationship. The city’s warm climate improved Chopin’s health.
In 1848, Chopin took a long tour of England and Scotland. There, he kept a busy schedule of performances and social engagements. The lack of rest poorly affected Chopin’s health, as did the region’s wet, chilly climate. He played his last concert for Polish refugees in London on November 16, 1848.
When Chopin returned to Paris, he was quite sick. Unable to do much other than rest, his work suffered over the next year. Finally, Chopin passed away on October 17, 1849. He was 39 years old. Today, Chopin is remembered as one of the greatest pianists and composers of all time.
Content for this question contributed by John Merion, resident of Milliken, Weld County, Colorado, USA
