Janusz Olejniczak, who played the piano parts in Oscar-winning movie ‘The Pianist,’ dies at 72

WARSAW – Polish musician and teacher Janusz Olejniczak, who played the piano parts in the 2002 Oscar-winning movie “The Pianist,” has died at the age of 72, his family said Monday.

The family’s statement to the media said Olejniczak died Sunday of a heart attack.

The statement said that his “extraordinary musical sensitivity, especially in the interpretations of music by Frederic Chopin, brought him international fame and recognition.”

Aleksander Laskowski, a spokesman for the national Frederic Chopin Institute, said the staff were “deeply saddened” by Olejniczak’s death.

Laskowski described him as “one of the most outstanding contemporary performers of Chopin’s music,” also on period instruments, and a superb teacher.

Composer and conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk, who was a personal friend, said Olejniczak’s “sensitive soul and extraordinary talent transpired throughout his interpretations” in which he created a “unique aura.”

Maksymiuk said he had lunch with Olejniczak on Sunday and they discussed his “great plans” which he was determined to pursue despite his health problems.

Olejniczak’s international career was launched in 1970 when, aged only 18, he was a laureate of the 8th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. Commentators said he bore a physical resemblance to the romantic-era composer, a trait that even led Olejniczak to play the role of Chopin in the 1991 movie “The Blue Note” by director Andrzej Zulawski.

In 2002, Olejniczak recorded the piano parts for Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist.” His hands can be seen playing the piano in the movie, for which Polanski won the best director Oscar and Adrien Brody won for best actor.

Olejniczak also performed contemporary music, including by the acclaimed, late Polish composer Wojciech Kilar.

Born Oct. 2, 1952, in Wroclaw, Olejniczak began his piano education at the age of 6. He studied in Warsaw, Paris and Essen. For many years he was on the jury of the Chopin piano competitions, and, since 2018, of the two editions of the Chopin competition on period instruments.