Felix was the second of four children. His older sister, Fanny Mendelssohn, was a composer and conductor in her own right. She wrote dozens of songs while managing her own household. Fanny married Prussian court painter Wilhelm Hensel in 1829.
Mendelssohn's musical education began in 1816 with piano lessons given by his mother. As Felix and Fanny's virtuosic talents were discovered, they were promoted to lessons with Marie Bigot, a respected instructor in Berlin. In 1818, Felix began private instruction with G.A.H. Stenzel from the University of Berlin. He also continued to study piano with Ludwig Berger. His first public appearance was in an accompaniment role in late 1818. Felix met Carl Friedrich Zelter in 1819 when he auditioned for Berlin's Singakademie chorus. Zelter was to become Mendelssohn's leading music instructor during his remaining youth.
Regular performances of Mendelssohn's works took place as early as 1820. His sister Fanny also desired to write music, but was silenced by her father who claimed that "music must remain only an 'ornament' for Fanny, for whom, in the Berlin high society of the 1820's, the idea of a profession was inconceivable" (grovemusic.com). In 1821, Felix was introduced to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who would have a profound effect on Mendelssohn's future writing.
The years 1821-1825 were years of continued growth for the young Mendelssohn. He composed his first symphony, made a trip to Paris to perform with the best instrumentalists and composers, and composed his first masterpiece, the Octet in E Flat Major, in 1825 at his family's summer residence. In 1826, Mendelssohn wrote the Midsummer Night's Dream Overture. It was first performed privately, but was later released publicly in performances by the virtuoso pianist Moscheles after being converted to a piano duet by both Felix and Fanny.
Mendelssohn attended the University of Berlin beginning in the summer of 1827. The next two years were dominated by his desire to bring back to life Bach's 'St. Matthew Passion'. Although Zelter discouraged him, Mendelssohn began rehearsals in earnest at his home in 1828. It was finally performed on March 11, 1829 with Mendelssohn conducting from the keyboard. After several encore performances in Berlin, Mendelssohn left the country to begin his European tour.
His tour began in London in April of 1829. He spent two months there giving mostly private performances of his works, but including a public performance of his Symphony No. 1 in C minor and the Midsummer Night's Dream Overture on Midsummer's Day (June 24). Mendelssohn left London in late July of 1829 with the close of the London concert season. He traveled to Scotland which he toured on foot with his friend Karl Klingemann. There he received the inspiration for his Scottish Symphony no. 3, his Reformation Symphony no. 5 and the Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave). He returned home shortly for his sister's wedding in October and to compose music for his parents' 25th wedding anniversary in December, 1829. In May, 1830, he departed Berlin again, this time for Italy and eventually for Rome and Paris. He commented on the music being made in all of these locations, at the same time performing his works and several Beethoven concertos for the French and Italian publics. The year 1832 was difficult for Mendelssohn as several of those close to him passed away such as Goethe and Zelter. He was prompted by his father and by these events to stop touring and seek a position that would allow him to settle down.
Felix Mendelssohn is sometimes criticized because the majority of his most famous works were written in his youth. While he still composed prolifically, his later works remain generally less memorable with the obvious exceptions of his oratorios. In 1833, Mendelssohn accepted the position of Dusseldorf music director. He led the local chorus and orchestra and composed and conducted music for Catholic masses. His work reviving sacred choral works for the church led him to begin work on his first oratorio, St. Paul. Mendelssohn was extremely dissatisfied with his position in Dusseldorf by this point and asked to be relieved. Less than a year later, he had accepted the position of municipal music director and director of the Gewandhaus orchestra in Leipzig. His pay was nearly doubled as was his annual leave (three months in Dusseldorf to six months).
During the next few years, Leipzig became the preeminent music center of Germany. Mendelssohn led a number of lavish concerts every year, always showing his predilection for Beethoven and Mozart. Mendelssohn's father died in late 1835. He was shattered by the loss and took the opportunity to complete the St. Paul oratorio which his father had earnestly looked forward to hearing. It was finally performed in May, 1836 and "was accepted as a milestone in the revival of the oratorio" grovemusic.com. Mendelssohn met Cecile Jeanrenaud in the summer of 1836 and quickly fell in love. The two were engaged by the end of the year and were married in Frankfurt in March, 1837. This spawned an episode of great productivity for Mendelssohn who wrote pieces like the String Quartet in E Minor and his Second Piano Concerto during the month of May. By 1840, Mendelssohn's greatness as a composer and conductor was recognized throughout Europe and he was constantly in demand to lead festivals and compose commissioned works.
In 1840, Mendelssohn was offered a Kapellmeister position by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV in Berlin. He accepted this position intending it for just one year, but remained there in a somewhat smaller capacity until his death in 1847. In 1841, he resumed his duties at the Gewandhaus and also trained a choir from Berlin that was moved to Leipzig for his disposal. Mendelssohn's mother died on December 12, 1842 and so he was forced to return to Berlin again for the funeral. Upon his return, Mendelssohn was granted honorary citizenship in Leipzig. He began plans for a conservatory in the city which finally came to fruition in April, 1843. Its first class consisted of 22 students. Mendelssohn labored at the Conservatory and with the Gewandhaus for the rest of his life. Throughout 1846, he was increasingly preoccupied with music for his Elijah oratorio. He traveled in England several more times during the last years of his life.
Fanny Mendelssohn died on May 14, 1847. This news was terribly shocking to Felix, who completely retreated from composing for a short while. A visit to his sister's grave in early October traumatized him so much that he could not conduct the season-opening concert. The last month of Mendelssohn's life was weary and exhausting. He suffered a series of strokes and died on November 4, 1847.
adapted from FelixMendelssohn.com