Concert by Ignacy Jan Paderewski at the Royal Albert Hall, London

The photo shows Ignacy Jan Paderewski aged seventy-three during a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Over the course of his long music career, Paderewski played hundreds of concerts across four continents, in many of the world’s largest performance venues. His immense fame was the result of exceptional talent and great dedication to his craft – he was known to rehearse for at least 12 hours a day while on tour. Audiences loved his charismatic playing style and personal manner, and he achieved a level of fame comparable to that of today’s pop stars.