Fryderyk Franciszek Szopen, better known by his French name Frédéric François Chopin, was born in Żelazowa Wola on March 1, 1810. He was a Polish composer and pianist, one of the great masters of Romantic music, who from an early age showed exceptional musical sensitivity. When his family moved to Warsaw, Chopin was placed under the tutelage of Bohemian violinist and pianist Zywny, who introduced him to the study of piano and composition. These were the only formal lessons Chopin ever took, and they ended in 1822; from then on, he continued his studies as a self-taught musician. He attended the high school where his father taught French and later enrolled in the conservatory, where he studied composition under Elsner until 1829 (during this period he composed the Rondò, Op. 1). In August 1829, he gave two concerts in Vienna to great acclaim; however, upon returning to Vienna in December 1830, his performances were less successful. After the Russian suppression of the November Uprising (1830), at the age of 21, Chopin moved to Paris, where he made a strong debut and became friends with composers such as Franz Liszt and Berlioz.

In the French capital, he performed frequently in aristocratic salons and embarked on a successful and profitable career as a piano teacher, meeting renowned artists like Eugène Delacroix. Chopin continued teaching and composing until his death on October 17, 1849. In the summer of 1835, during a trip to Germany, he met Robert Schumann and became engaged to Maria Wodzińska, though their marriage was never realized due to her father's objections, likely because of Chopin’s poor health. In Paris, he also met the writer George Sand, with whom he had a relationship. In late 1838, he traveled with her to Mallorca, one of his most productive periods as a composer, and they lived together until their separation in 1847. After the breakup with Sand and the worsening of his illness, Chopin sank into a deep depression, which may have hastened his death. In 1848, he gave his final concert in London.

Chopin is believed to have died from pulmonary tuberculosis. In the last months of his life, he was cared for by his Scottish student, Jane Stirling, who, along with his sister, convinced him to move to England. However, the harsh climate and the social obligations of the life his hosts involved him in worsened his condition. Back in Paris, his health rapidly deteriorated, and at 2 a.m. on October 17, 1849, he passed away. At his side were his closest friends, including Eugène Delacroix, Delfina Potocka (to whom he had dedicated one of his most famous waltzes), and his beloved sister, Ludwika. His funeral took place in Paris, where he was buried, though his heart was placed in an urn and taken to the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw. His final words were significant: "When this earth will suffocate me, I beg you to have my body opened so I am not buried alive."

Although his body of work is not vast and consists almost exclusively of compositions for piano (with the only significant exceptions being his two concertos, four additional works for piano and orchestra, and the Sonata, Op. 65 for piano and cello), Chopin is regarded as one of the greatest composers of his century. By the age of 20, he was already composing works of undeniable originality and maturity. A crucial element of Chopin’s musical development was his sensitivity to Polish folk music, which can be seen in his Études, Op. 10, the Scherzo, Op. 20, and the Ballade, Op. 23, where the distinction between popular and classical music is transcended. After arriving in Paris, Chopin sought to achieve success, which led him to compose pieces of great beauty, such as the Nocturnes, Op. 27, although these lack the revolutionary tension found in works from 1830-1831. That tension reemerges in pieces composed after the end of his engagement to Wodzińska, such as the Preludes, Op. 28, and the Ballade, Op. 38. These works opened a highly productive period in his career, during which he created some of the most important works in piano literature, such as the Polonaises, Op. 44 and Op. 53, the Ballade, Op. 52, and the Nocturnes, Op. 62. His piano style was highly distinctive and often technically challenging, yet always rich in nuance and deep expressiveness.

Chopin's musical style was shaped by Polish folk traditions and the works of J. S. Bach. The innovations he brought in terms of style, form, and harmony, as well as his association of music with nationalism, were profoundly influential throughout the Romantic period and beyond. His universal success as a composer, his indirect association with the Polish insurrection, his romantic life, and his early death made Chopin a symbol of Romanticism.