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Frederic Chopin was born in 1810 in a small Polish town near Warsaw. His mother was Polish, his father French. Chopin's incredible talent was apparent at a young age; by the time he was seven he had already written several pieces. By the ripe old age of nine he was performing publicly in Warsaw. Like every other European 8) wunderkind that showed great talent on the piano, he was being touted as the new Mozart. Chopin studied music at the celebrated Warsaw Conservatory. After graduating in 1830, he embarked on a solo tour to find fame and fortune in Europe. While performing in Vienna, he learned of Russia's invasion of Poland. Unable to return home, he went to Paris where he found himself among thousands of Polish exiles. Chopin decided to stay among them and pursue a career in performing and teaching. The frail sickly soft-spoken and elegant Chopin became a favourite of Paris high society.

Can Frederic Chopin, who wrote no symphonies, no operas, and no string quartets, who wrote only for the piano, be considered one of the greatest classical composers of all time? Instrument makers and composers have long devoted their lives to creating sounds that capture the range and essence of the most emotional instrument of all: the human voice. From the outset, Chopin incorporated the singing or cantabile style into almost all of his piano compositions. For those who heard Chopin play it seemed like the piano was invented for him and he for it. Today his compositions continue to be performed more than any others for the piano. Chopin proved that the full scope and range of an orchestra can be experienced from a solo piano.

Another thing that also astonished his contemporaries was how he buried the traditional roles of the left and right hands. The 'D Flat Major Prelude" is a good example of this: the left hand begins with the raindrop accompaniment while the right hand carries the melody. Note how a few bars in they switch. Chopin was a master of short forms: he had popularized his native polonaises and mazurkas and was known for the brilliance of his etudes and preludes. But it is Chopin's nocturnes that will be forever synonymous with his name. As their title suggests, they are dreamy night pieces, with melodies many people consider among the most beautiful ever written.