| Year |
Age |
Life |
| 1810 |
|
Born at Zelazowa Wola ; his family moves to Warsaw |
| 1816 |
6 |
First piano lessons with his mother |
| 1817 |
7 |
Lessons with Zywyny ; first polonaise |
| 1818 |
8 |
Plays at charity concert in Warsaw ; his cultivation by the
aristocracy ; presents Empress with two polonaises |
| 1820 |
10 |
Catalani presents him with gold watch ; he plays for Grand Duke
Constantine |
| 1821 |
11 |
Dedicates polonaise to Zywny |
| 1822 |
12 |
First lessons with Elsner ; writes G sharp minor Polonaise |
| 1823 |
13 |
Enrols at Warsaw ; first studies in harmony |
| 1824 |
14 |
Wins 1st prize at Lyceum ; edits Szafarnia Courier |
| 1825 |
15 |
Performs for the Tsar who gives him a diamond ring ; Rondo op.1
published |
| 1826 |
16 |
Composes B flat minor Polonaise ; visit to Bad Reinertz ; gives 2
concerts ; enters Warsaw Conservatory |
| 1827 |
17 |
Sister Emilia dies ; he composes La ci darem Variations and C
minor Sonata |
| 1828 |
18 |
Visits Berlin; composes Fantasia on Polish Airs, Krakowiak Rondo,
Rondo a la Mazur |
| 1829 |
19 |
Paganini visit Warsaw ; Chopin graduates from Conservatory and
travels to Vienna where he gives 2 concerts ; visits to Prague,
Teplitz, Dresden ; reveals love for Constantia Gladowska
|
| 1830 |
20 |
Plays F minor Concerto at his first public concert in Warsaw ;
later plays E minor Concert ; leaves Poland for Austria, France,
Italy |
| 1831 |
21 |
Depressed in Vienna ; in Stuttgart he hears of Warsaw’s defeat by
Russian forces ; proceeds to Paris where he meets Kalkbrenner &
Liszt |
| 1832 |
22 |
1st Paris concert ; friendships with Berlioz, Mendelssohn ; op. 6-7
published ; begins his lucrative teaching career |
| 1833 |
23 |
Plays with Liszt at benefit ; op. 8-9 published ; friendship with
Bellini ; gives several private concerts |
| 1834 |
24 |
Visits Germany where he renews friendship with Mendelssohn |
| 1835 |
25 |
Reunion with parents at Carlsbad ; falls in love with Maria
Wodzinska |
| 1835 |
25 |
1 August becomes a French citizen |
| 1836 |
26 |
Proposes marriage to Maria at Marienbad ; meets George Sand ;
op. 21-23, 26, 27 published |
| 1837 |
27 |
Visits London ; op. 25, 29-32 published |
| 1838 |
28 |
Plays for Louis Phillipe ; liaison with Sand begins ; their disastrous
winter in Majorca ; op. 28 finished |
| 1839 |
29 |
Falls seriously fill in Majorca ; returns to France ; summer at
Nohant ; op.35 completed ; op. 28 Preludes published |
| 1840 |
30 |
Spends whole year in Paris teaching & composing ; op. 35-42
Published |
| 1841 |
31 |
Gives brilliant concert in Paris ; summer spent at Nohant ; music
making with Pauline Viardot ; op. 43-49 published |
| 1842 |
32 |
Gives concert with Viardot and Franchomme ; friendship with
Delacroix at Nohant ; death of Jan Matuszynski ; op.50 published |
| 1843 |
33 |
Withdraws for 5 years from public performance ; op. 51-54
published |
| 1844 |
34 |
Nicholas Chopin dies ; Chopin visited by his sister Ludwika ; op.
55-56 published |
| 1845 |
35 |
His health declines ; family tensions mount at Nohant ; op.57-58
Published |
| 1846 |
36 |
Rift with Sands deepens ; publication of Lucrezia Floriani ; op. 59-
61 published |
| 1847 |
37
|
Sides with Sand’s daughter Solange provoking final break ; op. 63-
65 published |
| 1848 |
38 |
Gives last concert in Paris ; visits England & Scotland ; his health
declines alarmingly ; gives his last concert ; returns to Paris |
| 1849 |
39 |
Grows too weak to teach ; financial support from friends ;
Ludwika comes to nurse him through his final illness ; he dies in
Paris |
| 1849 |
39 |
October 30 Chopin’s funeral at the Church of the Madeleine with 3000-4000 invited guests ; buried at Pere Lachaise Cemetery |
