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Franz Xaver Scharwenka (January 6, 1850 - December
8, 1924) was a Poland|Polish-Germany|German
composer, pianist and teacher.

He studied music in Berlin under Theodor Kullak,
and toured as a concert pianist from 1874. In 1877
he premiered what was to be his most popular work,
a piano concerto.  In 1881 he founded his own
music school in Berlin, and from 1891 to 1898
directed his Scharwenka Music School in New York
City.  In addition to his activities as a
composer, pianist, and founder of a music school,
he also organized a series of concerts (focusing
mainly on works by prominent composers of the
century, Beethoven, Berlioz and Liszt among them) 
His compositions are little played today, though
some of his shorter piano pieces are sometimes
heard. His Methodik des Klavierspiels was
published in Leipzig in 1907.

He was a famous interpreter of Chopin, and was
renowned for the beauty of his piano tone. Works
by Scharwenka include an opera (Mataswintha), a
symphony, four piano concertos, as well as chamber
music and numerous piano pieces.

Franz Xaver Scharwenka was the brother of Philipp
Scharwenka, also a composer.