[Paderewski Picture]

portrait by: Gabriela Paciorek

.......... [Young Paderewski ]

Paderewski, Ignace Jan (1860 - 1941)

Pianist, composer. Born in the Province of Podolia Russian Poland, Nov. 6, 1860; married, 1899, Baroness de Rosen. Studied piano at the age of three, and at seven was placed under a teacher; studied at the Conservatory of Warsaw under Janota and Rogusgi, and later, in Berlin; composition under Friedrich Kiel; first concert tour in Poland and Russia; became a teacher at the Conservatory in Warsaw at the age of 18; went to Vienna in the autumn of 1884 to study piano under Theodore Leschetizky; in 1885-1886, professor of piano and counterpoint at the Conservatory of Strasbourg (Alsace) studied again a few months with Leschetlzky, 1887; debut Vienna, 1887; Paris, 1889; London, 1890; New York, 1891; since then many tours in the United States; played in almost all the leading cities of Europe, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Composed: "Manru," an opera produced in Dresden, Cologne, Bonn, Prague, Lwow, Cracow, 1901; New York, Chicago, Boston, Warsaw, 1902; symphony, concerto for piano and orchestra; fantasia, sonatas, variations, many pieces and songs. During World War I, devoted time mainly to concertizing for the benefit of Polish war sufferers and to public speaking on behalf of Poland; organized in the U.S., 1917, an army of Polish volunteers known as the Polish Army of France; officially recognized representative of Polish people, 1917 1918, at Washington, D. C.; led in organizing the Polish Republic, 1918-1919; Premier of Poland, 1919; member of the Peace Conference at Paris; first delegate of Poland to the Council of Ambassadors and to the League of Nations, 1920; Hon. Ph.D. of the University of Lwow, 1911; Hon. Music Doctor, Yale, 1917; Ph.D. Univ. Cracow, 1919; C.L.D. University Oxford, 1920; C.L.D. University Columbia, 1922; C.L.D. University of Southern California, 1923; Ph.D. University of Poznan, 1924; LL.D. University of Glasgow, 1925; Hon. Doctor of Music, Cambridge, 1926.
Awards: Grand Cross of the British Empire (G.B.E), Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold of Belgium. Grand Cross of St. Maurice et Lazare of Italy. Grand Cross of the White Eagle of Poland. Grand Cross of the "Polonia Restituta." Lived in Morges, Switzerland. Died June 29, 1941, New York, N.Y.

From: "Who's Who in Polish America" by Rev. Francis Bolek, Editor-in-Chief; Harbinger House, New York, 1943

[Paderewski Heart]

Sculpture by Andrzej Pitynski containing Paderewski's heart, located in the vestibule of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA