Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller was a German pianist and composer. He was born in Regensburg, Germany. Both his father, August, and his brother, Norbert, were musicians. His father was a musical theater director in Weimar and other Southern German Centers. In 1832, Johann moved to Paris where he stayed until his death. There, he adopted Parisan music and developed his trademark, light style of playing. He wrote many pieces of salon music for the piano and published several albums. Burgmüller also went on to compose descriptive piano studies intended for children. They are very popular to this day. He is probably best known today for his etudes and other works for piano students. In particular, selections from his Op. 68, 76, 100, 105 and 109 and his "Ballade" appear in a wide variety of educational collections. In addition to these piano pieces, he composed works without opus numbers including variations, waltzes, nocturnes and polonaises. He composed stage works and two ballets, La Péri and Lady Harriet. Even more demanding are the 12 pieces of opus 105.

Cornelius Gurlitt was a composer born in Prussia. Gurlitt studied with Reinecke's father for six years. His first public appearance at the age of seventeen was well received, and he went Copenhagen to continue his studies. There he studied organ, piano, and composition under Curlander and Weyse. In 1842, Gurlitt moved to Hirschholm, where he resided for four years. He then moved to Leipzig, Germany, where Gade was musical director for the Gewandhaus concerts. Gurlitt next travelled to Rome. Cornelius Gurlitt's abilities as a musician were quickly recognized in Rome, and the papal Accademia di Santa Cecilia nominated him an honorary member, graduating as a Professor of Music in 1855. While in Rome he also studied painting with excellent results. When the Schleswig-Holstein war broke out in 1849, Gurlitt became a military band master. His output was prodigious in quantity and breadth, ranging from songs and teaching pieces to operas, cantatas, and symphonies. He very much loved music but wanted music to educate people not to entertain people. Therefore he wrote many pieces like 'Vivace' and 'Waltz'.

Stephen Heller was a Hungarian composer and pianist whose career spanned the period from Schumann to Bizet, and was an influence for later Romantic composers. Heller had been destined for a legal career, but instead decided to devote his life to music. At the age of nine he performed Dussek's concerto for two pianos with his teacher, F. Brauer at the Budapest theater. He played so well that he was sent to study under Carl Czerny. and at the age of twelve he undertook a concert tour through Vienna, Germany, Poland and Hungary. Later on in his years, he went to study in Vienna, Austria. After passing the winter of 1830 at Hamburg, Heller returned to Budapest by way of Cassel, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Augsburg. At Augsburg, he was taken ill, and was soon afterwards adopted by a wealthy patron of music. At the age of 25, he travelled to Paris, where he became closely acquainted with Hector Berlioz, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt and other renowned composers of his era. Here Heller eventually achieved distinction both as a concert performer and as a teacher. In 1849 he performed in England, and in 1862 he played Mozart's E-flat concerto for two pianos with Charles Hallé at The Crystal Palace. With these brief interruptions, the last twenty-five years of his life were spent at Paris. He outlived his reputation, and was almost forgotten when he died in 1888.