'Pianist' Composer dies at 81

Wojciech Kilar died today in Katowice.

Wojciech Kilar, a Polish pianist and composer of classical music and scores for many films, including Roman Polanski's Oscar-winning 'The Pianist' and Francis Ford Coppola's 'Bram Stoker's Dracula,' has died. He was 81.

The composer died Sunday in his hometown of Katowice, southern Poland, following a long illness, according to Jerzy Kornowicz, head of the Association of Polish Composers.
Kornowicz said, 'The power and the message of his music, as well as the noble character of Wojciech Kilar as a person, will stay in my memory forever.'

Kilar's main love was composing symphonies and concertos, and he always put that above movies, even though he wrote the scores of dozens of films. He drew inspiration from Polish folk music and religious prayers and hymns.