 Fryderyk Chopin, the greatest Polish composer
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) -virtuoso pianist and the greatest Polish composer of Romantic period. He wrote his works especially for the piano, including concerts, sonatas, etudes, preludes, polonaises, mazurkas and waltzes. His works had an enormous influence on the music of the end of the 19th and the 20th centuries. Arthur Rubinstein about Chopin's music:
"Chopin was a genius of universal appeal. His music conquers the most diverse audiences. When the first notes of Chopin sound through the concert hall there is a happy sigh of recognition. All over the world men and women know his music. They love it. They are moved by it. Yet it is not "Romantic music" in the Byronic sense. It does not tell stories or paint pictures. It is expressive and personal, but still a pure art. Even in this abstract atomic age, where emotion is not fashionable, Chopin endures. His music is the universal language of human communication. When I play Chopin I know I speak directly to the hearts of people!"
Did you know The International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious events of this type in the world, organized in Warsaw since 1927. Winning one of the prizes awarded at the Frederick Chopin International Piano Competition marks the beginning of a great artistic career and opens a path to the most famous concert halls. The Polish Chopin Competition brought fame to such pianists as: Lev Oborin, Bella Davidovich, Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson and Krystian Zimerman.
Maria Skłodowska-Curie, famous Polish physicist and chemist, the first twice-honored Nobel Prizewinner
 Polish Nobel Prizewinners
- Maria Curie Skłodowska, physics 1903, chemistry 1911
- Henryk Sienkiewicz, literature - 1905 for the novel "Quo Vadis"
- Władysław Reymont, literature 1924 for the novel "The Peasants"
- Czesław Miłosz, literature 1980
- Lech Wałęsa, Nobel Peace Prize 1983
- Wisława Szymborska, literature 1996
Polish Oscars (Academy Awards) Winners
- Leopold Stokowski - 1941 - Music, Best Original Score Fantasie
- Bronisław Kaper - 1953 - Best Musical - Lili
- Zbigniew Rybczyński - 1982 - Best Animated Short Film - Tango
- Allan Starski, Ewa Braun - 1993 - Best Original Screenplay - Schindler's List
- Janusz Kamiński - 1993 Best Picture - Schindler's List; 1998 Best Picture - Saving Private Ryan
- Andrzej Wajda - 1999 - honorary Oscar for his numerous contributions to cinema
- Roman Polański - 2002 - Best Director - The Pianist
- Jan A. P. Kaczmarek - 2005 - Music, Best Original Score - Finding Neverland
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