The “Paderewski Returns to New York” Gala Concert takes place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 6 pm at Kaufman Music Center in Manhattan. The evening closes the festival’s third edition, held on the 85th anniversary of Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s death. Tickets are available online from Kaufman Music Center.
The Foundation of Culture and Art invites the public to the third edition of the “Paderewski Returns to New York” festival. This year’s edition is a jubilee: on the 85th anniversary of Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s death, the organizers want to bring back to New York one of the most outstanding Poles of the 20th century – an artist, statesman, community leader and philanthropist.
Paderewski and New York
New York holds a special place in Paderewski’s life. This is where he achieved artistic success, built relationships with American society and the Polish community, and took part in social and charitable work. He also used his international standing to speak about matters important to Poland and the Polish people.
The gala aims to take the audience back to a world where music, art, elegance and grand style shaped the atmosphere of “Old New York” – an era of refined salons, great stages and gatherings of the artistic elite.
The program
The program combines Polish and European music to portray the era in which Paderewski lived and worked. It includes works by Fryderyk Chopin, Stanisław Moniuszko, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Charles Gounod and George Frideric Handel.
The evening will also feature a new documentary film, “Paderewski, The Legacy Lives On – In Paderewski’s Footsteps, New York Then and Now.” The film follows in the artist’s footsteps and shows how much of Paderewski’s presence remains part of the city today.
“Young Ambassadors of Paderewski” contest
The organizers have also announced a contest for students of Polish community schools. Its theme is: “What does Ignacy Paderewski’s story mean to my generation?” The goal is to involve young people in Polish-American community life, build pride in their Polish roots and show that the traditions they bring from home can help them achieve great things in America.
Patrons and partners
The festival is held under the Honorary Patronage of Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations, and Mateusz Sakowicz, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York. Patronage is also provided by the Ignacy Paderewski Center in Kąśna Dolna – the only surviving Paderewski residence in the world – the Polish Museum of America and Steinway & Sons.
Partners include Polish & American WE, The Sembrich – Marcella Sembrich Foundation, the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America, the Polish Cultural Institute New York, the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America (PIASA), Polmic and the Polish & Slavic Center. Media patrons: TVP Polonia, Dziennik Polonijny, Dziennik Związkowy, White Eagle, PLUS and Super Express USA.
The project is co-financed by the Senate of the Republic of Poland as part of its care for Poles and the Polish diaspora abroad in 2026.
When and where
“Paderewski Returns to New York” Gala Concert
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 6 pm
Kaufman Music Center, Manhattan, New York
Tickets: online from Kaufman Music Center
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