Left his homeland of Poland for America because of the Nazis. He would become a respected accompanist for many famous musicians.
He was awarded the Mendelssohn Prize in 1930.
He was a faculty member of Boston University, the Eastman School of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music.
He married Ruth Rosalie, who later was president of the Artur Balsam Foundation for Chamber Music.
He and fellow Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki had careers that were both affected and shaped by their experiences with the Nazis during World War II.