Ignacy Jan Paderewski - pianist and politician

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860 – 1941), was a Polish pianist, composer, philanthropist, diplomat, politician and 3^rd Prime Minister of Poland. From an early childhood he was interested in music and at the age of 12 admitted to the Warsaw Conservatorium. He later went to Berlin and Vienna to study music composition. 

His first public appearance was in 1887 and in the following years he gained major success in Paris and London as well as triumphs in the United States where he settled in 1913. 

During World War 1, Paderewski was an active member of the Polish National Committee in Paris. He became their spokesman and also formed other social and political organisations, incl. Polish Relief Fund in London. In 1919 Paderewski became the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign affairs in the newly independent Poland. A year later he resigned and took on the role of Polish League of Nations ambassador. In 1933 he retired from political career to return to the music. 

He toured the whole United States and filled 20.000 seats in Madison Square Garden. The concert raised £37,000 for unemployed American musicians.

Photo: New York Public Library, Performing Arts Division, Paderewski

In 1939 a critic from San Francisco Chronicle wrote in his article: "He is much more than the artist with the right to wear the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire, he is the recipient of more medals and awards than one can imagine and a greater number of honorary doctorates than he can count himself.  He is even more than a man who made several fortunes only to give them away for the benefit of others.  But first of all, he is the one who having all compliments, financial rewards, and respect of the whole world at his feet, has not hesitated to push it aside, refusing profits and safety he could obtain easily, to dedicate himself entirely and exclusively to the humanitarian cause.

World has many reasons to recognize such rare today humanism, especially when success of the cause for which Paderewski fought is now in jeopardy.  In this situation what remained, was to pay him a small honor by coming yesterday to listen to him play”.

Soon Paderewski moved to Switzerland and was an active member of the opposition to Sanation rule (Polish political movement).  In 1940 he became the head of the Polish National Council (parliament in exile in London). In the age of 80 Paderewski restarted his Polish Relief Fund and raised money for it by playing several concerts. During this tour he suddenly died in 1941 in New York.

In 1948 on the initiative of the Polish community, the Ignacy Paderewski Foundation was established.

Sources: 

http://www.paderewskiassociation.org/Paderewski_Biography.htm
http://www.bookrags.com/biography/ignace-jan-paderewski/
http://www.paderewskifest.com/about_paderewski.html
http://bn.org.pl/chopin/index.php/en/pianists/bio/20

http://pl.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/persons/text/id/226
San Francisco Chronicle citation taken from: http://www.ijpaderewski.org/20501/16764.html

The magnificent watercolour art by Grzegorz Wrobel

Grzegorz Wrobel, born on March 11th, 1983 studied and graduated architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology. His interest in watercolours started at the age of 12 and although using drawings and watercolours at the university he gained his exceptional skills and style from own study. 

By controlling the water his art shows fresh colours, reflections and atmosphere. Grzegorz developed his own precise technique to capture lights, shadows and realistic motions among architecture structures. Check out his impressive style and more artwork here.

Source: WATERart, http://grzegorz-wrobel.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1 (photos used with artists permission)