Canadian live performance pianist Janina Fialkowska has had a exceptional profession on the planet of classical music for a half century. With a world profession as a performer, she has additionally taken on the position of nurturing the following era of artists with masterclasses and by performing as choose in lots of distinguished worldwide competitions.
She’ll be performing in recital on the Elora Competition on July 26, and when you missed her in Toronto earlier this yr, you’re in luck — Fialkowska will once more be taking part in Grieg, Schumann, Ravel, and Chopin, this time in an much more intimate setting.
Right here’s a take a look at this stellar Canadian musician.
Janina Fialkowska
Born in Montréal, Janina started finding out the piano on the age of 4 along with her mom, who had been a scholar of Alfred Cortot on the École Normale de Musique de Paris within the Nineteen Thirties. She went on to check on the École Vincent-d’Indy, making her debut with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal on the age of 12. In 1969, she received 1st Prize within the CBC Nationwide Radio Competitors for Younger Performers.
After incomes each her Baccalauréat and Maitrise levels from the Université de Montréal on the age of 17, she enrolled within the Juilliard College of Music.
Nevertheless, regardless of her early promise, Janina was ready to surrender performing by 1974. She had meant on competing within the first Rubinstein Worldwide Piano Competitors, which was initially slated to happen in 1973. Nevertheless, the Yom Kippur Struggle put these plans apart.
By the point the competitors had been rescheduled for the next yr in 1974, Janina had already enrolled at regulation college in Montréal. She’d be lacking the primary few days if she attended, and she or he hesitated, nevertheless, the CBC, who was backing her, inspired her to go anyway.
It could be a profession defining resolution.
Fialkowska took dwelling the joint third prize medal along with Austrian Seta Tanyel; (Emanuel Ax took dwelling the gold). Extra importantly, nevertheless, Rubinstein himself, who led the jury, was impressed along with her taking part in, and have become a mentor. He referred to as her a “born Chopin interpreter”.
Janina talks about her influences in a 2013 interview.
“The most important affect, nevertheless, was Arthur Rubinstein… He was my idol since I first heard him once I was 12, and I used to be lucky sufficient to have turn out to be his final pupil and shut buddy over the last seven years of his great life.”
The prize win launched knowledgeable profession that has taken her everywhere in the world to carry out. Profession highlights embody, in 1990, being chosen to carry out the world premiere of the then lately found Piano Concerto No. 3 by Franz Liszt with the Chicago Symphony.
Together with a world profession and accolades got here some vital challenges. In 2002, she was recognized with an aggressive type of tumour in her higher left arm. It led to surgical procedure, first to take away the malignant tumour, then to reconstruct her arm. For about 18 months, she gave live shows all through North America and Europe, performing solely along with her proper hand. She’d taken Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no. 4, additionally written for the left hand, and rearranged them for her proper.
By 2004, nevertheless, she was again to performing with each arms, and resumed an energetic touring profession.
She has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada, and acquired the Governor Normal’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award in Classical Music, in addition to three honorary doctorates.
The Elora Competition
The Elora Competition launched on July 11, and continues with a plethora of programming, together with the Fialkowska recital.
Highlights embody:
- Chanticleer: With no Music on July 16;
- The Elora Singers at Twilight with violinist, Bénédicte Lauzière on July 17
- Kaleidoscope that includes Autorickshaw, Penderecki String Quartet, and The Elora Singers on July 18;
- Soprano and pianist Rachel Fenlon performing Winterreise on July 19;
- The Elora Singers & Junges Vokalensemble Hannover presenting a variety of choral
masterpieces on July 19; - Paul Cohen, saxophonist, and Andrew Henderson, organist, presenting Of Gentle and Solace on July 20;
- An immersive live performance expertise on the Fieldstone Barn with Wrapped in Love, two reveals on July 23;
- Music within the Woods with The Elora Singers on July 24;
- The Gesualdo Six in a choral program on July 24;
- Unplugged with The Elora Singers on July 25;
- Klezmer and Yiddish music group Schmaltz & Pepper on July 26;
- Competition Finale: Heroic Handel, that includes a variety of compositions from G. F. Handel with soprano, Myriam Leblanc on July 26;
- The annual Elora Competition Barn Dance with the Barrel Boys on July 27.
Discover tickets for Janina Fialkowska on July 26 and different Elora Competition occasions [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is the Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. Beforehand, she was a contract author with a specialty in tradition and journey for 3 many years, and a inventive writing teacher for Ontariolearn.
