Frederick Chopin was born March 1, 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, in the Duchy of Warsaw, Poland , to a Polish mother and a French expatriate father. In his early years he was seen as a child-prodigy pianist and today is widely regarded as the greatest Polish composer and ranks as one of musicÃs greatest tone poets. In 1830, at the age of 20, he went abroad and took up residence in Paris, where he made a living as a composer and piano teacher. Always in frail health, he died on October 17th, 1849.