Janina Fialkowska
Encyclopedia
Janina Fialkowska, OC
(born May 7, 1951) is a Canadian-American classical pianist
.
, Quebec
, Canada
, to a Canadian mother (Bridget Todd Fialkowski) and a Polish father (Jerzy Fialkowski), an engineer and Polish army officer who emigrated
to Canada in 1945. Her mother was descended from an old Canadian family of Scottish-Irish and Cree
(aboriginal) stock, who studied piano in the class of Alfred Cortot
at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
(1935–1939). Fialkowska is the Granddaughter of Dr. John Todd, Canada’s first Professor of Parasitology
, and Great-granddaughter of Sir Edward Clouston, President of the Canadian Bankers Association
. She is the Cousin of Canadian Politician and former cabinet minister David Anderson and cousin of stage and screen actor Christopher Plummer
.
Fialkowska began to study piano at age 4 with her mother and in 1960 enrolled in the École Vincent-d’Indy in Montreal. In 1963, at the age of 12, she made her debut as a soloist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
and began studying with Yvonne Hubert. She pursued her secondary education at the prestigious Montreal girls school The Study
, graduating in 1967. The following year, at the age of 17, she simultaneously obtained undergraduate (Baccalauréat
) and Maitrise
from the Université de Montréal
. During this period, she also studied in Paris with virtuoso and teacher Yvonne Lefébure
(1966, 1968–1969). In 1969 she was awarded 1st Prize in the CBC National Radio Competition for Young Performers
in Canada and travelled occasionally to New York City
for private studies with Sasha Gorodnitzki. In 1970, she settled in New York and enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music
as a student of Sasha Gorodnitzki, later becoming his teaching assistant from 1979-1984. Following her prize-winning performance at the inaugural Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition held in Tel Aviv
in 1974, Arthur Rubinstein
became her mentor and launched her international career.
and Mozetich.
Fialkowska appears regularly with renowned orchestras the world over. In Europe, she has soloed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
of Amsterdam, the Hallé Orchestra, the London Philharmonic
, the Royal Philharmonic
of London, the BBC Symphony, the Scottish National Orchestra, the Bonn Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic
, and the Orchestre National de France
. Concerto appearances in North America have included the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
, the Cleveland Orchestra
, the Philadelphia Orchestra
, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic
, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
, the National Arts Centre Orchestra
of Canada, the Calgary Philharmonic
, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
, and the Vancouver Symphony
. Over the course of her career, Fialkowska has performed with many of the world’s finest conductors, including Sir Georg Solti
, Zubin Mehta
, Lorin Maazel
, Sir Roger Norrington
, Sir Andrew Davis
, Bernard Haitink
, Hans Graf
, Charles Dutoit
, Kyril Kondrashin, Leonard Slatkin
, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
, Yannick Nezet-Seguin
, Thomas Dausgaard
and Eiji Oue
.
Her numerous solo recital tours have taken her to leading concert halls throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, and the Far East.
A few career highlights:
In January 2002, on the eve of a European concert tour encompassing eight countries, Fialkowska’s career was suddenly brought to a halt by the discovery of an aggressive cancerous tumour in her upper left arm. Following the removal of the malignant mass in May 2002, she subsequently underwent an innovative surgical procedure designed to reconstruct the arm that had been rendered almost useless by the excision of the tumour. During her eighteen months of convalescence, she gave numerous concerts in Europe and North America, performing music written especially for the left hand by Ravel
(Concerto for the Left Hand
) and Prokofiev
(Piano Concerto no. 4
), which she adapted for performance with the right hand. Both the public and the critics were unanimous in their admiration of her courage and the high calibre of these unusual and challenging performances for example with the Houston Symphony Orchestra under Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. In 2004, Fialkowska made a triumphant return to the stage as a two-handed pianist, first with a highly anticipated recital in Germany, followed by Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto in Toronto. Since then, she has resumed active touring in Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Far East performing amongst others with the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the Suk Chamber Orchestra Prague, the Vancouver Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mexico State Orchestra, L’orchestra di Camera Italiana, the Badische Staatskapelle, the Osaka Philharmonic and many others.
In the summer of 2010, Fialkowska hosted a celebration of the works of Chopin at the Festival of the Sound
.
Harry Oesterle (since 2001). They have homes in the United States
(Connecticut
) and Germany
(Bavaria
).
Recently, a recording by Janina Fialkowska was the subject of a peculiar and shocking form of art theft
. In 2007, it was learned that a certain number of CDs originally attributed to the late British pianist
Joyce Hatto
(1928–2006) contained dozens of tracks that had been plagiarized from recordings by other artists. Two pieces from Fialkowska’s 1990 CD of solo works by Franz Liszt – Mephisto Waltz and Venezia e Napoli - number among the tracks that were fraudulently represented as Ms. Hatto’s work. The discovery of these and other plagiarized tracks led to one of the biggest scandals the classical music recording business has ever known.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born May 7, 1951) is a Canadian-American classical pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Early life
Fialkowska was born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to a Canadian mother (Bridget Todd Fialkowski) and a Polish father (Jerzy Fialkowski), an engineer and Polish army officer who emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to Canada in 1945. Her mother was descended from an old Canadian family of Scottish-Irish and Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
(aboriginal) stock, who studied piano in the class of Alfred Cortot
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor. He is one of the most renowned 20th-century classical musicians, especially valued for his poetic insight in Romantic period piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.-Early life and education:Born in Nyon, Vaud, in the...
at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
(1935–1939). Fialkowska is the Granddaughter of Dr. John Todd, Canada’s first Professor of Parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
, and Great-granddaughter of Sir Edward Clouston, President of the Canadian Bankers Association
Canadian Bankers Association
The Canadian Bankers Association is a financial lobbying group that works on behalf of 52 domestic banks, foreign bank subsidiaries and foreign bank branches operating in Canada and their 267,000 employees. The CBA was organized in Montreal in 1891, making it one of Canada’s oldest interest...
. She is the Cousin of Canadian Politician and former cabinet minister David Anderson and cousin of stage and screen actor Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
.
Fialkowska began to study piano at age 4 with her mother and in 1960 enrolled in the École Vincent-d’Indy in Montreal. In 1963, at the age of 12, she made her debut as a soloist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
and began studying with Yvonne Hubert. She pursued her secondary education at the prestigious Montreal girls school The Study
The Study
The Study is a Canadian private education all-girls school in Westmount, Quebec. Girls can attend from Kindergarten through to grade 11. The school was founded in 1915, by a young Englishwoman named Margaret Gascoigne. Today, The Study offers a bilingual education to 360 students from Kindergarten...
, graduating in 1967. The following year, at the age of 17, she simultaneously obtained undergraduate (Baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
) and Maitrise
Master's degree in Europe
This page refers to types of Master's degrees in Europe. Please see Master's degree for more information.In order to facilitate the movement of students between European countries, a standardized schedule of higher education diplomas, also known as the Bologna process, was proposed: an...
from the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
. During this period, she also studied in Paris with virtuoso and teacher Yvonne Lefébure
Yvonne Lefébure
Yvonne Lefébure was a French pianist.Born in Ermont, she studied with Alfred Cortot at the Paris Conservatoire, taking a premier prix in piano and numerous other subjects. She soon appeared with the Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux and the Orchestre des Concerts Colonne and in recital. She...
(1966, 1968–1969). In 1969 she was awarded 1st Prize in the CBC National Radio Competition for Young Performers
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
in Canada and travelled occasionally to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for private studies with Sasha Gorodnitzki. In 1970, she settled in New York and enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
as a student of Sasha Gorodnitzki, later becoming his teaching assistant from 1979-1984. Following her prize-winning performance at the inaugural Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition held in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
in 1974, Arthur Rubinstein
Rubinstein
Famous people named Rubinstein include:* Anton Rubinstein , a Russian pianist, composer and conductor, brother of Nikolai Rubinstein* Arthur Rubinstein , a famous Polish-American pianist, not related to Anton....
became her mentor and launched her international career.
Career and Musical Style
A specialist of the Classic and Romantic repertoires, Janina Fialkowska has garnered especially high praise for her interpretations of the works of Chopin and Liszt. For the past thirty years, she has also championed the music of contemporary Polish composers like Lutoslawski, PanufnikAndrzej Panufnik
Sir Andrzej Panufnik was a Polish composer, pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He became established as one of the leading Polish composers, and as a conductor he was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Warsaw Philharmonic orchestra after World War II...
and Mozetich.
Fialkowska appears regularly with renowned orchestras the world over. In Europe, she has soloed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1988, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands conferred the "Royal" title upon the orchestra...
of Amsterdam, the Hallé Orchestra, the London Philharmonic
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
, the Royal Philharmonic
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
of London, the BBC Symphony, the Scottish National Orchestra, the Bonn Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra , one of Poland's premier musical institutions, was established in 1901 on the initiative of an assembly of Polish aristocrats and financiers, as well as musicians...
, and the Orchestre National de France
Orchestre National de France
The Orchestre national de France is a symphony orchestra run by Radio France. It has also been known as the Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française and Orchestre national de l'Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française .Since 1944, the orchestra has been based in the Théâtre...
. Concerto appearances in North America have included the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
, the National Arts Centre Orchestra
National Arts Centre Orchestra
The National Arts Centre Orchestra is an orchestra in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital. It is a classically-sized ensemble currently conducted by Pinchas Zukerman.-Description:Since 1998, Pinchas Zukerman has been the Music Director. Mario Bernardi C.C...
of Canada, the Calgary Philharmonic
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra, based in Calgary, Alberta. The orchestra gives the majority of its performances in the Jack Singer Concert Hall of the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts...
, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
As the professional orchestra of Alberta's creative capital city, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra presents over 85 concerts a year of symphonic music in all genres, from classical to country...
, and the Vancouver Symphony
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...
. Over the course of her career, Fialkowska has performed with many of the world’s finest conductors, including Sir Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
, Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
, Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
, Sir Roger Norrington
Roger Norrington
Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington, CBE is a British conductor. He is the son of Sir Arthur Norrington and his brother is Humphrey Thomas Norrington....
, Sir Andrew Davis
Andrew Davis (conductor)
Sir Andrew Frank Davis CBE is a British conductor.Born in Ashridge, Hertfordshire to Robert J. Davis and his wife Florence J. née Badminton, Davis grew up in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, and in Watford. Davis attended Watford Boys' Grammar School, where he studied classics in his sixth form years...
, Bernard Haitink
Bernard Haitink
Bernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam...
, Hans Graf
Hans Graf
Hans Graf is an Austrian conductor.As a child, Graf learned the violin and the piano. He studied at the Musikhochschule in Graz, Austria, and graduated with diplomas in piano and conducting. He also participated in conducting master classes with Franco Ferrara, Sergiu Celibidache and Arvīds Jansons...
, Charles Dutoit
Charles Dutoit
Charles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
, Kyril Kondrashin, Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Edward Slatkin is an American conductor and composer.-Early life and education:Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His father Felix Slatkin was the violinist, conductor and founder of the Hollywood String Quartet,...
, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Stanisław Skrowaczewski is an internationally known classical conductor and composer. He was born in Lvov and became best known for his work with the Minnesota Orchestra....
, Yannick Nezet-Seguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a French Canadian conductor. He is Music Director Designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and will become Music Director in 2012.-Biography:...
, Thomas Dausgaard
Thomas Dausgaard
Thomas Dausgaard , is a Danish conductor.Since 1997, Dausgaard has been Principal Conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. From 2001-2004, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra , and became principal conductor in 2004, the first Danish conductor to hold the...
and Eiji Oue
Eiji Oue
is a Japanese conductor.Oue began his conducting studies with Hideo Saito of the Toho Gakuen School of Music. In 1978, Seiji Ozawa invited him to spend the summer studying at the Tanglewood Music Center. While there, he met Leonard Bernstein, who became a mentor. Oue won the Tanglewood...
.
Her numerous solo recital tours have taken her to leading concert halls throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, and the Far East.
A few career highlights:
- In 1986, to commemorate the centennial of the death of Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, Janina Fialkowska was invited to perform his complete Transcendental Études in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, in London for the BBC, and in Canada for the CBC. - In 1990, she was chosen to perform, with the Chicago Symphony, the world premiere of the recently discovered Third Piano ConcertoPiano Concerto No. 3 (Liszt)Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major Op. posth. , was possibly composed in 1839. It is said that this piece was composed before the first two concertos, but the date is inconclusive as there are claims it was not finished until 1847. Like his second piano concerto, it is a...
of Franz List. - She has also given world premiere performances of piano concertos by American composer Libby LarsenLibby LarsenLibby Larsen is one of America’s most performed living composers. She has created a catalogue of over 400 works spanning virtually every genre from intimate vocal and chamber music to massive orchestral works and over fifteen operas...
, with the Minnesota OrchestraMinnesota OrchestraThe Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Emil Oberhoffer founded the orchestra as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, and it gave its first performance on November 5 of that year. In 1968 the orchestra changed to its name to the Minnesota Orchestra...
(1991) and by Canadian composer Marjan MozetichMarjan MozetichMarjan Mozetich is a Canadian composer. He was born in Italy to Slovenian parents and has lived in Canada since 1952. He is currently an Adjunct Lecturer in Composition at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and has won several prestigious awards, including the first prize in the CAPAC -Sir...
, with the Kingston SymphonyKingston SymphonyThe Kingston Symphony is a Canadian orchestra based in Kingston, Ontario. The orchestra was founded in 1953 under the name the New Symphony Association of Kingston. It was renamed the Kingston Symphony in 1963 with the formation of its new umbrella organization the Kingston Symphony Association...
(2000). - In 1992, the Colorado SymphonyColorado Symphony OrchestraColorado’s only full-time professional orchestra, the Colorado Symphony embraces a tradition of musical excellence by presenting a diverse array of symphonic performances throughout the year...
invited her to perform the North American premiere of the piano concerto by Sir Andrzej PanufnikAndrzej PanufnikSir Andrzej Panufnik was a Polish composer, pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He became established as one of the leading Polish composers, and as a conductor he was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Warsaw Philharmonic orchestra after World War II...
. - Also in 1992, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation produced a television documentary of her life and career, entitled The World of Janina Fialkowska, which was aired across Canada and was awarded a special jury prize at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
In January 2002, on the eve of a European concert tour encompassing eight countries, Fialkowska’s career was suddenly brought to a halt by the discovery of an aggressive cancerous tumour in her upper left arm. Following the removal of the malignant mass in May 2002, she subsequently underwent an innovative surgical procedure designed to reconstruct the arm that had been rendered almost useless by the excision of the tumour. During her eighteen months of convalescence, she gave numerous concerts in Europe and North America, performing music written especially for the left hand by Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
(Concerto for the Left Hand
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (Ravel)
The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major was composed by Maurice Ravel between 1929 and 1930, concurrently with his Piano Concerto in G. It was commissioned by the Austrian pianist, Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm during World War I....
) and Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
(Piano Concerto no. 4
Piano Concerto No. 4 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 4 in B-flat major for the left hand, Op. 53, was commissioned by the one-armed pianist Paul Wittgenstein and completed in 1931....
), which she adapted for performance with the right hand. Both the public and the critics were unanimous in their admiration of her courage and the high calibre of these unusual and challenging performances for example with the Houston Symphony Orchestra under Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. In 2004, Fialkowska made a triumphant return to the stage as a two-handed pianist, first with a highly anticipated recital in Germany, followed by Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto in Toronto. Since then, she has resumed active touring in Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Far East performing amongst others with the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the Suk Chamber Orchestra Prague, the Vancouver Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mexico State Orchestra, L’orchestra di Camera Italiana, the Badische Staatskapelle, the Osaka Philharmonic and many others.
In the summer of 2010, Fialkowska hosted a celebration of the works of Chopin at the Festival of the Sound
Festival of the Sound
Festival of the Sound is an annual classical music festival that occurs from July to August in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.Established in 1980 by Anton Kuerti, the festival's original artistic director, the annual festival was held in the auditorium of Parry Sound High School until the opening of...
.
Personal life
Janina Fialkowska is married to German music managerTalent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
Harry Oesterle (since 2001). They have homes in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
) and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
).
Piano Six & Piano Plus (classical music charity programs)
Janina Fialkowska was the founder and first Artistic Director of Piano Six, a not-for-profit educational outreach program dedicated to keeping classical music alive in small communities throughout Canada. In 1993, Fialkowska convinced five of Canada’s most distinguished classical pianists to join with her in taking time off from their busy international careers to tour to outlying communities that rarely, if ever, figure on the itinerary of the world’s top musicians. In order to serve as many communities as possible, Fialkowska and the other Piano Six artists agreed to perform for a fraction of their usual fees. During its decade of operation (1993–2003), this award-winning program sent its artists on more than 60 regional tours, reaching over 100,000 Canadian music fans of all ages with their live performances, masterclasses and teachers’ workshops. In 2004, in order to broaden the scope of its activities, the Piano Six roster was expanded to include top-flight Canadian musicians from the fields of strings and voice as well as piano. Under the banner of Piano Plus, the new program’s associated artists continue to tour the length and breadth of Canada each season.Awards and honours
- First Prize at the CBC National Radio Competition for Young Performers, 1969.
- Third Prize at the First International Arthur Rubinstein Piano Masters Competition, held in Israel, 1974.
- Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, 2001 - Honorary DoctorateHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
(Music), Acadia University WolfvilleAcadia UniversityAcadia University is a predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level...
(Wolfville, Nova Scotia), 2006 - Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award for Keyboard Artistry, 2007
Recording career
Janina Fialkowska is an active and highly regarded recording artist. Two of her recordings were nominated by the Canadian music industry for a Juno Award: her 1997 CD Fialkowska plays Szymanowski (ODR 9305) and her 1998 recital of virtuoso salon pieces La Jongleuse (CBC MVCD 1114). Her 2001 recording of Liszt’s Transcendental Études (ODR 9332) earned the Critics’ Choice award from American Record Guide.Recently, a recording by Janina Fialkowska was the subject of a peculiar and shocking form of art theft
Art theft
Art theft is usually for the purpose of resale or for ransom . Stolen art is sometimes used by criminals to secure loans.. One must realize that only a small percentage of stolen art is recovered. Estimates range from 5 to 10%. This means that little is known about the scope and characteristics of...
. In 2007, it was learned that a certain number of CDs originally attributed to the late British pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Joyce Hatto
Joyce Hatto
Joyce Hatto was a British pianist and piano teacher. She became famous late in life, when unauthorised copies of commercial recordings made by other pianists were released under her name, earning her high praise from critics. The fraud did not come to light until a few months after her...
(1928–2006) contained dozens of tracks that had been plagiarized from recordings by other artists. Two pieces from Fialkowska’s 1990 CD of solo works by Franz Liszt – Mephisto Waltz and Venezia e Napoli - number among the tracks that were fraudulently represented as Ms. Hatto’s work. The discovery of these and other plagiarized tracks led to one of the biggest scandals the classical music recording business has ever known.
Orchestral / Concertos
- W.A.Mozart: Piano Concertos, nos. 11 and 12 (chamber version). With The Chamber Players of Canada. Atma ClassiqueATMA ClassiqueATMA Classique is a Canadian record label based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1995, the company has over 300 titles in its catalogue and distributes in over 25 countries and on the internet. Several recordings released by the company have won Juno and Felix Awards....
SACD2 2531. (2007) - Frédéric Chopin: Concertos (chamber version). With The Chamber Players of Canada. Atma Classique SACD2 2291. (2005)
- Franz Liszt: Piano Concerti. With the Calgary Philharmonic, cond. Hans Graf. CBC Records, SMCD 5202. (2000)
- Paderewski: Piano Concerto; Fantaisie polonaise. Naxos 8.554020. (1999)
- Memories of Poland: Chopin, Moszzkowski, Koprowski. CBC Records, SMCD 5140. (1995)
Solo Albums
- Chopin: Book II (sonatas, impromptus) (2001)
- Transcendental Liszt: Transcendental Études (complete). Opening Day Recordings, ODR 9332. (2000)
- Fialkowska plays Chopin: The Études, opp. 10 & 25. Opening Day Recordings, ODR 9312. (1998)
- La Jongleuse: Salon pieces and encores CBC Records, MVCD 1114. (1998)
- Fialkowska plays Szymanowski: 4 Études; Variations sur un thème folklorique polonais; Métopes; 2 Mazurkas. Opening Day Recordings, ODR 9305. (1995)
- Franz Liszt: Pieces for Piano Solo. CBC Records MVCD 2-1035. (1990)
- Presenting Janina Fialkowska: Liszt solo piano works. RCA Red Seal FRLI 1042. (1977)
- Janina Fialkowska plays Chopin. RCA Red Seal RL 37071 (1977)
Collaborator
- None But the Lonely Heart: Russian Romances. With soprano Joanne Kolomyjec. CBC Records, MVCD 1144. (2001)
- Brahms/Schumann: Lieder. With bass-baritone Daniel Lichti. Opening Day Recordings, ODR 9311. (1997)
- Schubert: Schwanengesang. With bass-baritone Daniel Lichti. Opening Day Recordings, ODR 9302. (1994)
External links
- Official site
- Janina Fialkowska at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Hear Janina Fialkowska in concert from WGBH Boston
- Official site of Janina Fialkowska's project Piano Plus
- Kaylor Management