Arthur Rubinstein called her a "BORN CHOPIN INTERPRETER" -- Ep. 20 - This is the Legend of JANINA FIALKOWSKA

If you are a classical pianist, classical musician, or classical music fan, then you know who she is.

The late great Arthur Rubinstein described her as a “born Chopin interpreter”.  In fact, Arthur Rubinstein was her mentor.

She is described as “one of the Grandes Dames of piano playing”.  She is also a Juno Award winner.

She is an alumna of The Juilliard School.

She was the student of Yvonne Hubert, Yvonne Lefebure, and Sascha Gorodnitzki, and she has mastered the French Cortot and the Gorodnitzki piano performance techniques.

She won third prize at the 1974 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition.

She is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

She was the Chair of the jury for the 2023 Junior Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (aka the U.S. Open of piano).

Later in 2025, she will be a jury member of the Honens International Piano Competition in Canada.

This is the Legend Of Janina Fialkowska.

In this episode, Amos Vang and Janina Fialkowska discuss the evolution of Janina’s pianistic performance, the Gorodnitzki technique, her experiences at the Arthur Rubinstein International Competition, the importance of Arthur Rubinstein’s mentorship, and the importance of musicality in pianism.  As a foundational component of The Road to Warsaw, Janina’s contributions to the performance of Chopin have pioneered and inspired many generations of pianists around the world.

You can follow Janina on her website: https://www.fialkowska.com/

 

Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0.  www.scottbuckley.com.au

Other music composed by: Amos Vang and Fryderyk Chopin

 

-- CHAPTERS --

0:00 – Introduction

3:08 – Janina Fialkowska’s first musical inspirations

4:36 – Yvonne Hubert, Janina Fialkowska’s 2^nd piano teacher

6:51 – The influence of Bach is profound in classical and jazz piano performance.  I.e. Oscar Peterson.

8:06 – Yvonne Lefebure, Janina Fialkowska’s 3^rd piano teacher

8:34 – A pianist must be careful to prevent theatrics from distracting the audience from the actual musical performance.

9:58 – What was the Juilliard application process like, for Janina Fialkowska?

13:00 – How influential was Sascha Gorodnitzki to Janina Fialkowska’s style?

16:03 – What is the Gorodnitzki piano technique?

18:01 – What were the greatest challenges that Janina Fialkowska faced at Juilliard?  How did she overcome these challenges?

20:41 – Many pianists, and by extension other classical musicians, are introverts.

23:02 – Introverts like Amos and Janina are very comfortable with their own company and with being alone.

25:58 – Janina Fialkowska ALMOST WENT TO LAW SCHOOL!  INSTEAD, SHE COMPETED AT THE 1974 ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION!

28:56 – This is Janina Fialkowska’s journey to the 1974 Arthur Rubinstein International Competition.

35:29 – Liszt Piano Sonata and Chopin’s Concerto in E minor are LEGENDARY pieces of music.

38:53 – Fun fact: Chopin’s Concerto in E minor is featured in “The Truman Show” (1998), starring Jim Carrey.

39:22 – Arthur Rubinstein was Janina Fialkowska’s mentor.  What was it like to study with Arthur Rubinstein?

42:35 – Arthur Rubinstein never practiced!  He even stopped Janina Fialkowska from practicing!

43:31 – Arthur Rubinstein and Janina Fialkowska had a fantastic mentor-mentee relationship.

45:29 – What is musicality to Janina Fialkowska?

49:58 – Yunchan Lim, Bruce Liu, the Cliburn Competition, and the Chopin Competition

53:09 – Janina Fialkowska believes that Canada is #1 in the world for piano!

57:21 – To ethnic Chinese people such as Amos Vang, piano is their hockey

58:47 – Playing piano is beneficial for the brain

59:23 – Practicing at the Cliburn Competition and for any other music competition is basically training for an athletic competition for some (NOT all) pianists.

1:02:23 – Who is Fryderyk Chopin to Janina Fialkowska?

1:05:09 – The polonaise is an official item of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

1:06:50 – Why are the Chopin Competition and the Cliburn Competition so revered among the general public?

1:10:30 – How does Janina Fialkowska express bel canto in her performance?

1:15:47 – In piano competitions, some pianists crash and burn at the finals because they don’t have experience performing with orchestras.

1:16:38 – Polish National Edition vs. Paderewski Edition.  Can there be a genuine Urtext for Chopin?

1:19:52 – What are the common misconceptions that Janina Fialkowska has seen?

1:20:54 – Despite the achievements of Canadian pianists, the average Canadian is not musically literate.  Here’s why.

1:23:18 – Sports and music have a lot in common.  Can this commonality be a solution to improving classical music appreciation?

1:26:34 – What are the most important lessons that Janina Fialkowska has learned in her career?