Frédéric Chopin Timeline

(March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849)

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, renowned for his solo piano compositions including nocturnes, mazurkas, waltzes, polonaises, and etudes. His poetic style and technical brilliance made him one of music's most influential figures. More Less

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Early Life and Education

Birth of Frédéric Chopin

Feb 22, 1810

Frédéric Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola, a village near Warsaw, Poland. His birth certificate records February 22, 1810, though the family later celebrated March 1 as his birthday. He was the second of four children of Nicolas Chopin, a French émigré tutor, and Justyna Krzyżanowska.

Image source: Frédéric Chopin

Family moves to Warsaw

Oct 1810

The Chopin family moved to Warsaw, where Nicolas Chopin accepted a position teaching French at the Warsaw Lyceum. Growing up in an intellectual household surrounded by music and literature, young Frédéric was immersed in Polish culture from an early age.

Image source: Frédéric Chopin

Begins piano lessons with Wojciech Żywny

1816 - 1822

At age six, Chopin began professional piano lessons with the Bohemian musician Wojciech Żywny, a violinist who had studied with classical masters. Żywny gave him a solid grounding in Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven while allowing his pupil's original talent to flourish freely.

Image source: Wojciech Żywny

Begins piano lessons with Wojciech Żywny

Publishes first composition, Polonaise in G minor

1817

At only seven years old, Chopin composed his Polonaise in G minor, one of his earliest surviving works. His father's employer, Prince Antoni Radziwiłł, encouraged the boy's composing, and the piece was published in 1817, marking the beginning of his catalog.

Image source: Polonaises, Op. posth. (Chopin)

First public performance at age seven

Feb 24, 1818

Chopin made his public debut at a charity concert at the Radziwiłł Palace in Warsaw, performing Adalbert Gyrowetz's Piano Concerto in E-flat major. The Warsaw press hailed him as a child prodigy compared to Mozart.

Studies composition with Józef Elsner

1823 - 1829

Chopin began private composition studies with Józef Elsner, director of the Warsaw Conservatory, and formally enrolled at the institution in 1826. Elsner recognized and nurtured Chopin's unique voice, famously advising him to follow his own path rather than conventional rules.

Image source: Józef Elsner

Graduates from the Warsaw Conservatory

Jul 1829

Chopin completed his studies at the Warsaw Conservatory under Józef Elsner, receiving a diploma that praised him as a 'musical genius.' His graduation report noted his exceptional abilities in both composition and performance.

Career in Poland

Composes Variations on 'La ci darem la mano'

1827

Chopin composed his Variations on 'Là ci darem la mano' from Mozart's Don Giovanni for piano and orchestra. Published in 1830, the work earned Robert Schumann's famous review declaring 'Hats off, gentlemen—a genius!'

Image source: Variations on "Là ci darem la mano"

Visits Vienna and Berlin

1828 - 1829

Chopin traveled to Berlin in 1828 and Vienna in 1829, where he performed his own works to critical acclaim. The Viennese concerts established his reputation abroad and convinced him that he could succeed as an international concert artist.

Premieres Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor

Mar 17, 1830

Chopin premiered his Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor at the National Theatre in Warsaw, playing to an enthusiastic audience. The concerto, composed largely during his infatuation with singer Konstancja Gładkowska, remains among his most beloved works.

Premieres Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor

Oct 11, 1830

Chopin premiered his Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor at the National Theatre in Warsaw, with Konstancja Gładkowska singing on the same program. Days later he left Warsaw forever, carrying letters from friends and a silver goblet filled with Polish soil.

Image source: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Chopin)

Leaves Poland permanently

Nov 2, 1830

Chopin departed Warsaw intending to tour Western Europe. Weeks after his departure, the November Uprising against Russian rule broke out in Poland; he never returned to his homeland, spending the rest of his life in exile.

November Uprising begins in Poland

Nov 29, 1830 - Oct 5, 1831

An armed rebellion against Russian domination erupted in Warsaw shortly after Chopin's departure. Its suppression deeply affected Chopin, who was stranded far from home and eventually chose Paris over returning to Russian-controlled Poland.

Image source: November Uprising

Learns of fall of Warsaw, writes 'Stuttgart' diary

Sep 1831

While in Stuttgart, Chopin learned that Warsaw had fallen to Russian forces. In anguished diary entries he poured out his despair, and scholars link this emotional crisis to works like the Étude Op. 10 No. 12, the 'Revolutionary' Étude.

Life in Paris

Settles in Paris

Sep 1831

Chopin arrived in Paris, which would remain his home until his death. The city's vibrant artistic scene, including Liszt, Berlioz, Bellini, Delacroix, and Heine, provided fertile ground for his career, and he soon became a sought-after teacher and performer in aristocratic salons.

Paris debut concert at Salle Pleyel

Feb 26, 1832

Chopin made his Parisian debut at Salle Pleyel, premiering his Piano Concerto No. 2 and other works. Though attendance was modest due to competition from other concerts, critics praised him lavishly, cementing his standing among Parisian elites.

Image source: Salle Pleyel

Meets Franz Liszt

1833

Chopin formed a friendship and professional rapport with fellow virtuoso Franz Liszt. The two performed together at benefit concerts, though their relationship later cooled amid differences in temperament and musical philosophy.

Image source: Franz Liszt

Meets George Sand

Oct 1836

Chopin met the celebrated novelist George Sand (Amantine Dupin) at a gathering hosted by Countess Marie d'Agoult. Initially repelled by her, he entered into a decade-long romantic relationship with her that profoundly shaped his life and art.

Image source: George Sand

Engagement to Maria Wodzińska ends

1837

Chopin's engagement to Maria Wodzińska, whom he had courted in Dresden, was broken off by her family, reportedly due to his health and uncertain prospects. He kept her farewell letter and the memory inspired the 'Farewell' Waltz in A-flat major.

Image source: Maria Wodzińska

Visits England for the first time

Jul 1837 - Oct 1837

Chopin traveled to London in the summer of 1837, attending the coronation festivities of Queen Victoria and meeting leading British musicians. The visit broadened his reputation, and he returned again in later years for concerts.

Winter retreat to Mallorca with George Sand

Nov 1838 - Feb 13, 1839

Seeking a warm climate for Chopin's worsening tuberculosis, Sand took him and her children to Mallorca, staying at the former Carthusian monastery of Valldemossa. Bad weather, hostile locals, and illness marred the trip, but Chopin composed some of his Preludes there, including the famous 'Raindrop.'

Image source: Deià

Summer residence at Nohant

Jun 1839 - 1846

From 1839 onward, Chopin spent most summers at Sand's country estate in Nohant in central France. These peaceful summers were his most productive period, yielding many sonatas, mazurkas, nocturnes, and polonaises amid the company of writers and artists.

Image source: George Sand

Relationship with George Sand ends

Jul 1847

After nearly ten years together, the relationship between Chopin and Sand dissolved amid conflicts involving her daughter Solange. Devastated and increasingly ill, Chopin never fully recovered emotionally from the breakup.

Major Works

Publishes Twelve Études, Op. 10

1833

Chopin dedicated his Op. 10 études to Franz Liszt. These twelve pieces transformed technical exercises into profound art, with No. 12 in C minor, the 'Revolutionary' Étude, becoming emblematic of his response to Poland's fate.

Image source: Études (Chopin)

Completes the 24 Preludes, Op. 28

Jan 22, 1839

Chopin finished his cycle of 24 Preludes in all major and minor keys, much of it drafted during the Mallorca sojourn. Published in 1839, they are considered a monumental achievement, each a miniature world of its own.

Image source: Preludes (Chopin)

Composes Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61

1845 - 1846

One of his last great extended works, the Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major blended the national polonaise form with improvisatory fantasy. It reflects the introspective, harmonically daring style of Chopin's late years.

Image source: Polonaise-Fantaisie (Chopin)

Later Years and Legacy

Final concert in Paris

Feb 16, 1848

Chopin gave his last concert at Salle Pleyel in Paris, performing despite failing health. The outbreak of the 1848 Revolution soon disrupted Parisian life and prompted his departure for Britain.

Concert tour of England and Scotland

Apr 1848 - Nov 1848

Despite severe illness, Chopin toured England and Scotland, performing for Queen Victoria, giving recitals in Manchester and Glasgow, and teaching aristocratic pupils. The exhausting schedule further ruined his health, and he returned to Paris critically weakened.

Death of Frédéric Chopin

Oct 17, 1849

Chopin died at his apartment on Place Vendôme in Paris at age 39, likely of tuberculosis. Per his wishes, his heart was removed and smuggled to Warsaw, where it rests at Holy Cross Church, symbolizing his enduring bond with Poland.

Image source: Heart of Frédéric Chopin

Funeral at the Madeleine in Paris

Oct 30, 1849

Chopin's funeral drew some 3,000 mourners at the church of La Madeleine, with Mozart's Requiem performed as he had requested. His body was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery beneath a monument designed by Auguste Clésinger.

Key Facts

Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola, Poland, in 1810, and showed extraordinary musical talent from early childhood, performing publicly by age 7.
He left Poland in 1830 at age 20 and settled permanently in Paris, never returning to his homeland due to political unrest and the Russian occupation.
In 1838 he began a famous nine-year relationship with the French novelist George Sand, one of the most celebrated romances in music history.
His compositions, nearly all written for solo piano, include masterpieces such as the 'Minute Waltz,' the Nocturnes, and the Revolutionary Étude.
Chopin died of tuberculosis in Paris in 1849 at age 39; per his wishes, his heart was returned to Poland and rests in Warsaw.

Source

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