Stephen Heller (16 May 1813, Budapest ? 14 January 1888, Paris) was a Hungarian composer and pianist whose career spanned the period from Schumann to Bizet, and was an influence for later Romantic composers.
Heller had been destined for a legal career, but instead decided to devote his life to music. At the age of nine he performed Dussek's concerto for two pianos with his teacher, F. Brauer at the Budapest theater. He played so well that he was sent to study under Carl Czerny. Anton Halm was his principal master, and at the age of twelve he undertook a concert tour through Vienna, Germany, Poland and Hungary. Later on in his years, he went to study in Vienna, Austria.
After passing the winter of 1830 at Hamburg, Heller returned to Budapest by way of Cassel, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Augsburg. At Augsburg, he was taken ill, and was soon afterwards adopted by a wealthy patron of music.