PADEREWSKI, pii'dr-ref'ske, IGNACE (1859 —). A famous Polish pianist and composer. He was horn in Podolia, Russia. \\lien only three years of age he showed great fondness for music, and at seven was placed under a teacher, making such rapid progress as a pian ist that in five years he gave public recitals. 1Ie studied under Raguski at the Warsaw Conservatory. in which he became himself a professor at the age of eighteen. in 1584 he accepted a similar position at Strassburg, and in 1887 made his formal dant in Vienna, and was at once placed in the foremost rank of pian ists. In 1890 he created a furor in London by his marvelous playing,and in 1892, 1893, 1895-96, and 1899 appeared in the United States. As a virtuoso pianist Paderewski must be placed the very greatest performers that the world has yet seen. His pronounced indi viduality, his freedom from affectation, to gether with a vivid appreciation of tone grada tions and values, a wonderful technique and mastery of the pedal, and a singularly intellec tual conception and interpretation of the great masterpieces of his repertoire, easily determine him as the greatest pianist of his day and genera tion. For his three months' season in the United
States in 1895-96 he received the net sum of $200,000, and he gave to specially appointed trustees, for a fund to encourage American com posers, $10,000. In 1902 he again visited the States and personally conducted his opera, Mann', which met with an enthusiastic reception. his works, consisting largely of eompositions for the piano. have become widely known; they in clude: PrOude and Minuct ; IsnnAcs polonaises; chamber musie: songs; and the grand opera Alamo (1900).