John Field was an Irish composer and pianist, best known for being the first composer to give the name 'nocturnes' to his pieces, and he is considered the father of the Romantic nocturne. His style of play and compositions had a significant influence on many prominent composers, such as Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, and Liszt.

Born in Dublin in 1782, Field began his piano studies with his grandfather, who was a professional organist, as well as with Tommaso Giordani, a musician of Neapolitan origin. He was the eldest son of Robert Field, a violinist by profession. Field debuted at the age of 9 to a favorable reception. His family moved to Bath in 1793, and later that year to London, where his father managed to have him receive lessons from the pianist, composer, and piano manufacturer Muzio Clementi. Field's performances drew favorable comments from Joseph Haydn.

At the age of 17, he presented his first piano concerto, of which he wrote a total of seven. Although considered an excellent pianist, he did not gain the same recognition until he published his first set of piano sonatas in 1801, dedicated to Clementi.

In 1801, Field went on tour with Clementi to Paris and Vienna, where he received some lessons from Johann Georg Albrechtsberger. When Clementi moved to Russia, Field accompanied him as a piano demonstrator. He established his own concert career, dividing his time between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and began residing in the latter city after his marriage in 1810. His comfortable economic position, complemented by his teaching income, allowed him to lead an extravagant lifestyle with touches of a 'bon vivant', and he had a child out of wedlock from one of his affairs.

In 1831, with his health deteriorating due to painful rectal cancer, he went to London for medical treatment. He returned to Russia via France and Italy, where he was hospitalized for nine months in Naples. Assisted by a Russian aristocratic family, Field returned to Moscow in 1835. There, he composed his last nocturnes during the final sixteen months of his life. He passed away in Moscow.