Blahetka, Marie Leopoldine (1811–1887)

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Blahetka, Marie Leopoldine (1811–1887)

Austrian pianist, darling of the Viennese concert stage in the 1820s. Born in Guntramsdorf, Austria, on November 15, 1811; died in Boulogne, France, on January 12, 1887.

A child prodigy who studied with Moscheles and Friedrich Kalkbrenner, Marie Leopoldine Blahetka was the idol of Vienna in the 1820s. Chopin met her in 1829 and was impressed by her art, describing her as being "young, pretty and a pianist." She was also a prolific composer; a Konzertstück for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 25 became her best-known composition. Residing in France starting in 1840, she died in Boulogne on January 12, 1887.