Frð¹dð¹ric Franð*ois Chopin

Frйdйric FranÐ*ois Chopin was born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland on February 22, 1810. The childhood genius can be compared to that of Mozart. At the age of 7, Chopin had already authored two polonaises, one of which was published in the engraving workshop of his father. This achievement gained him notability among other musicians in Warsaw. Chopin's first professional piano lessons were given to him by a violinist Wojciech Zywny from the ages of 6 to twelve. The musical lessons stopped when Frйdйric surpassed the skills of his teacher.

The further development of Chopin's talent was influenced by the teachings of Wilhelm Wьrfel, a famous pianist and professor at Warsaw Conservatory. During his stay at the Conservatory, Chopin received lessons in playing the organ, and the piano by Wьrfel. In 1823, Frйderic attended Warsaw Lyceum, a school where is father was a professor. In the fall of 1826, Chopin began to study music theory and composition from composer, Jуzef Elsner again at the Warsaw Conservatory. Shortly after in 1831, Chopin left for Austria before settling permanently in Paris.

By 1838, Chopin was engaged to a Polish girl named Maria Wodzinska. The engagement was later called off. In the same year, Chopin became a well known figure in Paris. His closests friends at the time were Vincenzo Bellini, a opera composer, painter Eugйne Delacroix and composers Hector Berlioz and Franz Liszt. Although Chopin secretly disliked their music and was very critical of them, he did dedicate some of his work to them.

During the 1840s, the health of Chopin was deteriorating very quickly. The health decline was caused by his staying at unheated peasants huts with no heating, thus causing him to catch tuberculosis. In an attempt to help him get better, friends took him on several trips to remote locations to relieve him from stress and other factors that may have caused his condition to worsen. The trips did not help and Chopin passed away while working on a mazurka, in F minor. He passed away, October 17, 1849 in Paris. He was buried 2 weeks after his death in the Pйre Lachaise cemetery in Paris. His heart though is entombed in a pillar in Warsaw, Poland at the Church of the Holy Cross.