Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) was born in Hamburg to parents Abraham Mendelssohn, a banker and litterateur, and Leah Solomon, an amateur musician and artist. The oldest of four children, Fanny's siblings included Felix, the prolific composer and conductor, Rebekka, and Paul. Gifted as both composer and musician, it is said that she could play Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier from memory by age 13. In 1829, she married the German painter Wilhelm Hensel, who was a great supporter of her music. Their son Sebastian later became the family's chief biographer.