Wladyslaw Szpilman

Władysław Szpilman was a Polish-Jewish pianist and composer, a celebrated performer for Polish Radio in the 1930s. He survived the Warsaw Ghetto and the destruction of the city during the Second World War, hiding in the ruins with help that included a German officer; his memoir became the basis of Roman Polanski's film 'The Pianist'. After the war he resumed a distinguished career in music.