Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and a skilled pianist during the Romantic era. He focused mainly on writing music for solo piano. Chopin is known worldwide as an important musician of his time. His work centered on piano music, and he gained wide recognition for his talent. Chopin grew up in Warsaw, Poland, where he showed great musical talent as a child. He finished his music studies and wrote his early pieces in Warsaw before leaving the country at 20. At 21, he moved to Paris and spent his final 18 years there, performing publicly only about 30 times. He preferred playing in small, private gatherings rather than large concerts. Chopin earned money by selling his music and giving piano lessons, which were very popular. Chopin had a broken engagement with Maria Wodzińska and later had a difficult relationship with the French writer Amantine Dupin, better known as George Sand. He spent a short, unhappy time with her in Majorca, but it was a very productive period for his music. In his later years, he was helped financially by Jane Stirling. Chopin was often sick and died in Paris in 1849 at the age of 39, likely from tuberculosis. All of Chopin's works feature piano, mostly solo pieces. He also wrote two piano concertos, a few chamber works, and 19 songs with Polish words. His piano music was demanding and pushed the boundaries of what the instrument could do. He created the idea of the instrumental ballade. His important piano works include mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, études, impromptus, scherzos, preludes, and sonatas, some published after his death. His new styles and forms, along with his link between music and nationalism, influenced many musicians during and after his time.