Life
Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was a Polish composer and pianist whose artistic creations embraced the expressive strengths of his instrument and drew upon the folk idiom of his homeland. The son of a Polish noblewoman, Justyna Krzyżanowska, and a French expatriate who had settled in Poland during the Napoleonic period, Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola near Warsaw and received his early musical training from Adalbert Żywny (1756–1842). A recently discovered baptismal record puts his birth at 22 February 1810, rather than 1 March 1810 as previously assumed.
Chopin was introduced to Polish folk traditions during vacations in Szafarnia, in his youth. Owing to his talent for playing the piano he became the darling of Polish nobility and throughout his life was accepted into aristocratic circles. He studied composition in Warsaw from 1826 to 1829...
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Citation: Smialek, William. "Frédéric Chopin". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 July 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=867, accessed 09 June 2026.]
