Polish composer. He received his initial musical instruction from his mother and studied composition in Berlin. In 1840, he organized a church choir in present-day Vilnius, and subsequently published a six-volume collection titled Śpiewniki domowe (Home Songbooks). He dedicated himself to promoting music. His opera Halka, which premiered in Warsaw, achieved great success, leading to his appointment as director of the Warsaw Opera House. He continued to compose operatic works such as Straszny dwór (The Haunted Manor), earning him the title "Father of Polish National Opera."

He also taught choir and harmony at the Warsaw Conservatory.