Field, John (1782-1837), was an Irish-born composer and pianist who won international fame in Europe for his delicate Romantic pieces known as nocturnes. Field is considered the inventor of the nocturne and gave the composition its name. He brought the form to an early maturity and inspired the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin. Field wrote dozens of works for solo piano, including 16 pieces specifically called nocturnes. He also composed works for piano and orchestra as well as chamber music and a few songs.
Field was born in Dublin, Ireland, probably on July 26, 1782. He began composing and playing in public at the age of 9. He began studying with the Italian pianist Muzio Clementi in 1793. In 1802, Clementi took him to St. Petersburg, in Russia, where Field gained immediate acceptance as a performer and teacher. He eventually settled in Moscow, where he died on Jan. 23, 1837.
