The composer, conductor and pianist Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists in the history of twentieth century Polish music. His significant output includes four symphonies, three solo concertos, vocal music and a string quartet. When, in 1949, the overtly neo-classical First Symphony (1941–47) was banned as “formalist” by the Communist regime,  Lutosławski turned to folk music as a potential source of raw compositional material. The exuberant and accessible Concerto for Orchestra (1950–54), was the first of his works to alert international opinion to his genius. Following the death of Stalin in 1953, as greater experimentation and increased contact with the West became possible, Lutosławski began to introduce into his music more advance techniques, evident in the moving Funeral Music and Venetian Games of 1961.