Friedrich Daniel Rudolf Kuhlau (September 11, 1786 – March 12, 1832) was a German-Danish composer during the Classical and Romantic periods. Born in Germany, after losing his right eye in a street accident at the age of seven, he studied piano in Hamburg. His father, grandfather, and uncle were military oboists. Even though Kuhlau was born to a poor family, his parents managed to pay for pianoforte lessons. In 1810, he fled to Copenhagen to avoid conscription in the Napoleonic Army