ABSTRACT
Polish virtuoso pianist, composer, and politician. Born on 18 November 1860 at Kurylówka, Paderewski studied at Warsaw and then Vienna, where he made his professional debut. He quickly made his reputation as an interpreter of Schumann, Chopin, and Liszt. At the outbreak of the war, Paderewski was co-organizer of a "general committee of assistance for the victims of the War in Poland," established in Switzerland. In 1915 he went to the United States as its representative. Through concerts and speeches, Paderewski raised funds and lobbied for the cause of an independent Polish state. In 1917 he became the representative in Washington of the Paris-based Polish National Committee, and he played a crucial role in winning President Wilson's support for the re-creation of an independent Poland.
