John Field

Born into a musical family in Dublin on 26 July 1782, Field studied with Tommaso Giordani before the family moved to London in 1793. Under Muzio Clementi's tutelage he became a sought-after concert pianist, touring Paris, Vienna, and Saint Petersburg with his teacher. He stayed in Russia — likely as a sales representative for Clementi & Co. — and spent the rest of his life there, teaching students including Charles Mayer, Alexandre Dubuque, and Antoine de Kontski, and shaping the Russian piano school. His playing and compositions influenced Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, and Liszt. He…