Ignacy Jan Paderewski died in New York in June 1941. Eighty-five years later, the city that applauded him in its largest halls for half a century will hear his music again. On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m., Kaufman Music Center will host a concert gala closing the third edition of the “Paderewski Returns to New York” festival.
Key Details
- When: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, 6 p.m.
- Where: Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th St., Manhattan
- Organizer: Fundacja Kultury i Sztuki (Culture and Art Foundation, fkis.org)
- Tickets: online, through Kaufman Music Center
From a Single Concert to a Festival
The Fundacja Kultury i Sztuki initiative began in December 2024 with an inaugural concert in the same hall on 67th Street. Another gala followed in November 2025, and this year’s third edition is a jubilee one.
This time, Paderewski will share the stage with composers of his era. Alongside his own works, the organizers have announced Chopin, Moniuszko and Karłowicz, as well as European composers Liszt, Schubert, Gounod and Handel, including opera arias. Part of the evening will be a new documentary film about the traces Paderewski left in New York: the places that remember his concerts and what has survived to this day of the city he knew.
The Pianist Who Played for Poland
For Americans, Paderewski was first and foremost a piano star. From his debut in 1891, his tours drew crowds, and tickets sold out quickly. For Poles, he was something more: he turned his fame and money into work for an independent Poland. He lobbied in Washington, served as prime minister and was a delegate to the peace conference in Paris. He died in exile in New York and for half a century was laid to rest at the cemetery in Arlington. His remains did not return to Warsaw until 1992.
The festival is also aimed at the younger generation. Students at Polish community schools take part in a competition called “Young Paderewski Ambassadors,” writing about what the figure means to them today.
Honorary patrons of the festival include Consul General of Poland in New York Mateusz Sakowicz and Poland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski.
Source: Nowy Dziennik
