Frederic Chopin
Frederic Francois Chopin - March 1, 1810 – 17 October 1849
Frederic Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leading musician of his era, one whose "poetic genius was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation."
All of Chopin's compositions include the piano. Most are for solo piano, though he also wrote two piano concertos, a few chamber pieces, and some 19 songs set to Polish lyrics. His keyboard style is esoteric and often technically demanding: his own performances were noted for their nuance and sensitivity. Chopin invented the concept of the instrumental ballade. His major piano works also include mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, études, impromptus, scherzos, preludes and sonatas, some published only posthumously. Among the influences on his style of composition were Polish folk music.
Some of his more famous compositions are the Minute Waltz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKILwVH_MdM) and the Funeral March from his Piano Sonata No. 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1gGyOSdnXw) .