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Maria Kinasiewicz was a renowned classical music artist who was born on May 15, 1929, in Warsaw, Poland. She was the daughter of a prominent Polish composer, conductor, and musicologist, Kazimierz Kinasiewicz, who was a professor at the Warsaw Conservatory. Her mother, Maria Kinasiewicz, was a pianist and a music teacher. Maria Kinasiewicz grew up in a musical family and was exposed to classical music from a very young age. Maria Kinasiewicz started playing the piano at the age of four and showed exceptional talent. She received her first piano lessons from her mother and later studied with some of the most renowned pianists and teachers in Poland, including Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Maria Wiłkomirska, and Władysław Szpilman. She also studied composition with her father and later with Tadeusz Szeligowski. In 1945, Maria Kinasiewicz made her debut as a pianist at the age of 16, performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Her performance was highly acclaimed, and she soon became one of the most sought-after pianists in Poland. She continued to perform extensively in Poland and other European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, and the Soviet Union. In 1952, Maria Kinasiewicz won the first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, which was a major turning point in her career. The competition was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Chopin's birth, and it attracted some of the most talented pianists from around the world. Maria Kinasiewicz's performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 was highly praised by the judges, and she became the first Polish pianist to win the competition. After winning the Chopin Competition, Maria Kinasiewicz's career took off, and she became one of the most prominent pianists of her generation. She continued to perform extensively in Poland and other countries, and her repertoire included works by Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Brahms, and many other composers. She also recorded extensively, and her recordings of Chopin's works are considered some of the best interpretations of his music. In addition to her career as a pianist, Maria Kinasiewicz was also a respected music educator. She taught at the Warsaw Conservatory and later at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, where she was a professor of piano and chamber music. She also served as a jury member for many international piano competitions, including the Chopin Competition, the Tchaikovsky Competition, and the Van Cliburn Competition. Maria Kinasiewicz received many awards and honors throughout her career, including the Order of Polonia Restituta, the highest civilian award in Poland, and the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. She was also awarded the Medal of the National Education Commission and the Medal of the Fryderyk Chopin Society. In 1999, she was awarded the Gloria Artis Gold Medal for Merit to Culture by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Maria Kinasiewicz continued to perform and teach until her death on December 31, 2010, at the age of 81. She left behind a legacy as one of the greatest pianists of her generation and a respected music educator who inspired generations of young musicians. Her recordings and performances continue to be admired and studied by music lovers and musicians around the world.

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