Ignace Jan Paderewski

Paderewski embodied the stature of a legendary virtuoso pianist within the great romantic tradition, while also devoting himself to philanthropy and the cause of Polish patriotism. On several occasions he stepped away from the concert stage to aid his homeland, first taking the post of Prime Minister in 1919 and later, in 1940, assuming the presidency of the Polish Parliament in exile in Paris. His compositions for piano afford a glimpse of the final remnants of those virtuosos who created works expressly for their own performances.