Written and composed by US musician Matthew Hardy, the work is a blend of rock, R&B and gospel.
The story presents Paderewski as a showman who attracted huge crowds and was adored not only by the greatest celebrities of his time, but by people from all walks of life.
Paderewski’s relationships with three women is an important strand in the story. They are Helena Górska-Paderewska, his second wife; Helena Modrzejewska, a Polish actress who made a spectacular career in America; and Helena Bebisco, Paderewski’s patron, friend and one of his former lovers.
The musical also shows how Paderewski used his enormous popularity in his lobbying for the Polish cause, becoming one of the architects of Poland’s regained independence in 1918.
“Virtuoso” won Matthew Hardy one of the top awards in the “Paderewski – Musical” competition run by the Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Institute, in collaboration with a host of American institutions, as part of the Polska 100 international cultural programme to mark the centenary of Poland’s regained independence in 2018.
On November 11, the 102nd anniversary of Polish independence, “Virtuoso” will be presented in Warsaw.
(mk/tf)