Władysław Szpilman
1911
Born on December fifth in Sosnowiec to a family with musical traditions. His mother was a pianist, and his father a violinist.
1926-30
Studied piano in the class of Józef Śmidowicz, and theory and counterpoint with Michał Biernacki at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.
1930-33
Studied piano under the supervision of Leonid Kreutzer and Artur Schnabel and composition with Franz Schrecker at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. Began making a name for himself as an outstanding composer. Around this time he composed “Violin Concerto”, the suite for piano “Life of the Machines” and numerous other pieces for piano and orchestra.
1933-35
Studied piano with Aleksander Michałowski. Began performing on stage and cooperating with the world-famous violinist Bronisław Gimpel.
 
1935
Began his collaboration with the Polish Radio as a pianist, chamber musician, accompanist and composer. He also composed popular music. His debut was the song “Jeśli kochasz się w dziewczynie” [“If you’re in love with a girl”] with lyrics by Emanuel Schlechter, written for the musical comedy “Kot” [“Cat”].
1940-43
During his time in the Warsaw ghetto he played in cafes and small concert rooms. He avoided being taken to the death camp in Treblinka. Worked as a construction worker until his escape from the ghetto.
1943-45
Went into hiding, thanks to the help offered by Czesław and Helena Lewiccy as well as Andrzej and Janina Boguccy, with the financial and logistic support of many other people. After the fall of the Warsaw Uprising, he was cut off from the aid of his Polish friends. In the ruins of a house at Aleje Niepodległości, the Wehrmacht captain Wilm Hosenfeld saved his life by supplying him with food.
1945
Returned to Polish Radio, where he worked as head of the Popular Music Department. He was orchestra conductor, initiator of music competitions, composer. Author of 50 radio plays for children, musicals, scores for film and theatre. He performed with Tadeusz Wroński, Bronisław Gimpel, Henryk Szeryng, Ida Haendel, Roman Totenberg.
He created around 500 songs, of which 150 became hits. The most famous ones include: “Deszcz” [“Rain”] (lyrics Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński), “Czerwony autobus” [“Red bus”](lyrics Kazimierz Winkler), “Cicha noc” [“Silent night”](lyrics Roman Sadowski), “Nie ma szczęścia bez miłości” [“No happiness without love”](lyrics Henryk Herold), “Nie wierzę piosence” [“I don’t believe a song”](lyrics Bronisław Brok).
1961
Co-organised the International Song Festival in Sopot.
1963
Founded the Warsaw Piano Quintet, whose other members were Bronisław Gimpel (first violin), Tadeusz Wroński (second violin), Stefan Kamasa (alto) and Aleksander Ciechański (cello). The Quintet’s foreign debut took place at the Wigmore Hall in London in January of 1963. In the quarter of a century of the group’s activity, they played over 2000 concerts in Europe, United States, Canada, Mexico, India, and Japan, and the quintet’s output is documented by over a dozen of albums released by Polish and foreign phonographic companies.
1964
Became a member of the Union of Polish Composers and the Society of Authors ZAiKS.
1988
Composed the score for the film “Piłkarski poker” [“Soccer poker”], directed by Janusz Zaorski.
2000
Died on July 6 in Warsa. Buried at the Powązki Military Cemetery.
 
 
Selected compositions
Violin concerto (1931)
Toccatina for piano (1931)
The Life of Machines, suite for piano (1931)
Old-Time Waltz for symphony orchestra(1937-68)
Score for the film Heather dir. Juliusz Gardan (1938)
Score for the film Doctor Murek dir. Juliusz Gardan (1939)
Concertino for piano and orchestra (1940)
Mazurka for piano (1942)
Variations on the theme of the waltz from Ludomir Różycki's opera "Casanova" for voice, 2 pianos, symphony orchestra and jazz orchestra (1945)
Paraphrase on own theme for symphony orchestra (1947)
Negro Song for symphony orchestra (1949)
Two waltzes for symphony orchestra  (1951)
Three miniatures for piano (1952)
Score for the film Always the First dir. Joanna Rojewska (1953)
Score for the film Call My Wife dir. Jaroslav Mach (1958)
Music for the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood (1958)
Little overture for symphony orchestra (1968)
Ballet music for the play Charley’s Aunt (1968)
Ballet scene for symphony orchestra (1968)
Minor piano pieces  (1972)
Score for the film Soccer Poker dir. Janusz Zaorski (1988)
 
 
When you’re a musician, you don’t always think about whether you’ll make more or less money, you just play for your own satisfaction. Any artist who really is an artist, must play some five, six hours a day. When you don’t play, you stop living.
I believe one must be a good person, honest, this is important, and tell the truth, not fib.
Władysław Szpilman