Frédéric Chopin: March 1, 1810 - October 17, 1849 “Hats off gentlemen, a genius,”- Robert Schumann Chopin was born outside Warsaw to a French tutor and a woman from a lesser noble Polish family. His mother and sister both played piano, and Chopin showed early talent, composing and playing by ear by age 6. By age 8, he made his public debut in Warsaw, quickly being recognized as a child prodigy. At age 16, his family sent him to the Warsaw Conservatory of Music, where he quickly outgrew what they could offer him. Then it was off to Vienna, and he would never go back to Poland again. Shortly after he left, tensions between Poland and Russia escalated, and Russia took over Warsaw. He made his debut in Vienna at age 19 and started working on his etudes. By age 22, he was in Paris and made his concert debut there, mingling among the likes of Liszt and Berlioz. Chopin only performed 30 concerts his entire life, making most of his money ...