Wladyslaw Szpilman (1911-2000) was a major star on Polish State Radio in the 1930s. In September 1939, during a live broadcast, he was perfoming Chopin's "Nocture in C Sharp Minow" when the sudio was bombed. Narrowly escaping deportiation and the death caps, he survived with the help of Polish friends and was ulitamtely spared by a German officer who heard him play the same "Nocturne" in his hiding place.

After the war, Szpilman resumed his career at Polish State Radio, coming back on the air once again with the "Nocturne". Over the following decades he appeared in concert as a soloist as well as with the Warsaw Piano Quintet in Poland, throughout Europe, Asia and in America. Later, he recounted his experience in a best-selling book - "The Pianist" - which formed the basis for Roman Polanski's award-winning film. His concert works as well as a selection from about 500 songs are now available for the first time, published by Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers.