Jan Lisiecki
Encyclopedia
Jan Lisiecki is a classical pianist. Born in Calgary
, Canada to Polish parents, Lisiecki is most well known as being extremely accomplished in piano as well as in academics at a young age.
“I concisely remember the moment when my hands and feet gradually gained control and I was able to make the piano sing. My powerful relationship with the piano began and I started to discover my voice. As I play, I feel that the magic of the music is emerging from the piano, and also is developing in me – I feel the light shining into my heart. I experience joy, happiness, love; but also sadness and pain. And I have the strong desire to share it with others.” – Jan Lisiecki
At age 16, Jan is already making a name for himself on the Canadian and international stage. He had his orchestral debut at the age of 9, and has since performed more than 100 times with orchestras in Canada and internationally, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra
, Montreal Symphony Orchestra
, L’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
, Minnesota Orchestra
, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sinfonia Varsovia, to name a few. On January 1, 2010 Jan had the honour to open the Chopin 200th Birthday celebrations from the composers’ birthplace, Żelazowa Wola
. In January 2010, he gave a “dazzling” performance of the Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E minor at the MIDEM
Classical Awards Gala in Cannes
, France. In April, Jan was asked to substitute for Nelson Freire
in four concerts France, in May he opened the Seoul International Music Festival in Korea. In July he performed for Her Majesty the Queen of England
and a hundred thousand people on Parliament Hill
in Ottawa, Canada. In October he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon
. Since 2010 he is represented by IMG Artists
. Jan is already engaged for the 2011/2012 season with multiple orchestral and solo performances across the world.
Jan has played at Carnegie Hall
, the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, Kaufman Hall, Salle Cortot and has shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma
, Pinchas Zukerman
, James Ehnes
, and Emanuel Ax
. He has performed in the USA, Korea, China, Japan, France, Germany, England, Scotland, Italy, Guatemala, Germany, Poland and throughout Canada. Jan is a dedicated performer of chamber music and has collaborated with the New Zealand String Quartet, Quatour Ébène, and the Penderecki String Quartet, appearing on festivals including the Merano Festival, Menton Festival, d'Auvers-sur-Oise Festival, Seoul Festival, Chopin and his Europe Festival and many others in Canada and the USA.
Recognized for his poetic and mature playing, Lisiecki was awarded many prestigious awards including the 2010 "Debut Atlantic" tour, the 2010 Révélations Radio-Canada Musique, and the 2011 Jeune Artiste des Radios Francophones.
Jan has won numerous major Canadian music titles. In 2009 he was awarded Grand Prize at the OSM Standard Life Competition (the youngest in history). In 2008 he won the Grand Award in both the Canadian Music Competitions (June 2008) and the Canadian Music Festival (August 2008, as the youngest in history). Jan was a prize winner in seven international competitions in the USA, Italy, England, and Japan.
In 2008, Jan performed the Chopin F minor Concerto and was named the sensation of the prestigious festival “Chopin and His Europe” in Poland. In 2009, he returned to Warsaw performing the Chopin E minor Concerto, receiving glowing reviews and praise from critics. The concerts where broadcast by the Polish Radio 2. Jan’s debut CD, featuring these two live performances, with Sinfonia Varsovia and Howard Shelley
, was released at the beginning of 2010 by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute as catalogue No. 1 on the new “White Series”. The CD was awarded the prestigious Diapason d’Or Découverte award in May 2010. The Diapason magazine describes Lisiecki as “an unmannered virtuoso already with virile, and above all, irresistibly natural playing.” BBC Music Magazine
s’ July 2010 review commended "Lisiecki's mature musicality,” and his “sensitively distilled” interpretation of the contrasting concerti, played “with sparkling technique as well as idiomatic pathos”, noting that “even in a crowded CD catalogue, this refreshingly unhyped CD release is one to celebrate".
His performances have been broadcast nationally on CBC Radio
in Canada, Polish Radio, Radio France
, Radio Luxembourg
, Austrian Radio, and German Radio, as well as on French Television 3 and the TV 1 and 2 in Poland. Jan was featured in the CBC Next! Series on March 1, 2009, on Sunday Afternoon in Concert as one of the most promising young artists in Canada. Two of his recitals that were recorded by the CBC are available on their "Concerts on Demand" website. On September 7, 2009, CBC National News broadcast a Joe Schlesinger
documentary about Jan, "A Reluctant Prodigy".
Jan performs frequently for various charity organizations, including the David Foster
Foundation, the Polish Humanitarian Organization and the Wish Upon a Star Foundation. In June 2008 he was appointed a National Youth Representative by UNICEF Canada.
Upon the school board’s recommendation Jan was accelerated four grades. In January 2011, he graduated from Western Canada High School
in Calgary, Canada.
From the Fryderyk Chopin Institute's website:
"The first CD opening a new series of recordings performed on modern pianos. It is the recording of the Piano Concertos in F minor and E minor by Fryderyk Chopin, which were performed at the National Philharmonic Concert Hall during the festival Chopin and His Europe in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The performer was Jan Lisiecki, a 14-year-old great talent, born in Calgary. He was accompanied by Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by the British conductor and pianist Howard Shelley.
Recorded during the festival Chopin and his Europe at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, August 21, 2008 [1–3] and August 20, 2009 [4–6]."
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Canada to Polish parents, Lisiecki is most well known as being extremely accomplished in piano as well as in academics at a young age.
“I concisely remember the moment when my hands and feet gradually gained control and I was able to make the piano sing. My powerful relationship with the piano began and I started to discover my voice. As I play, I feel that the magic of the music is emerging from the piano, and also is developing in me – I feel the light shining into my heart. I experience joy, happiness, love; but also sadness and pain. And I have the strong desire to share it with others.” – Jan Lisiecki
Biography
Jan Miłosz Lisiecki has been studying piano since the age of five at the Mount Royal University Conservatory.At age 16, Jan is already making a name for himself on the Canadian and international stage. He had his orchestral debut at the age of 9, and has since performed more than 100 times with orchestras in Canada and internationally, including 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...
, 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:...
, L’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Orchestre symphonique de Québec is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Quebec City. Founded in 1902 as the Société symphonique de Québec, the OSQ is the oldest active Canadian orchestra. Joseph Vézina was the OSQ's first music director, from 1902 to 1924...
, Minnesota Orchestra
Minnesota Orchestra
The 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...
, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sinfonia Varsovia, to name a few. On January 1, 2010 Jan had the honour to open the Chopin 200th Birthday celebrations from the composers’ birthplace, Żelazowa Wola
Zelazowa Wola
Żelazowa Wola is a village in Gmina Sochaczew, Sochaczew County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies on the Utrata River, some northeast of Sochaczew and west of Warsaw. Żelazowa Wola has a population of 65....
. In January 2010, he gave a “dazzling” performance of the Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E minor at the MIDEM
Midem
-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
Classical Awards Gala in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France. In April, Jan was asked to substitute for Nelson Freire
Nelson Freire
Nelson Freire is a Brazilian classical pianist.Freire began playing the piano when he was three years old. He replayed from memory pieces his older sister had just performed. His teachers in Brazil were Nise Obino and Lucia Branco, former students of a pupil of Liszt. For his first public recital,...
in four concerts France, in May he opened the Seoul International Music Festival in Korea. In July he performed for Her Majesty the Queen of England
Queen of England
Queen of England may refer to:* Any of the female monarchs of England* Any wife of a male monarch of England who functioned as his official consort during his reign; see List of English consorts...
and a hundred thousand people on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
in Ottawa, Canada. In October he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
. Since 2010 he is represented by IMG Artists
IMG Artists
IMG Artists LLC is a top universal performing arts management corporation that was acquired by International Management Group in 1984. Chairman and CEO of IMG, Mark McCormack, bought out Hamlen/Landau, a small, New York based artist-management music agency, founded by Charles Hamlen and Edna...
. Jan is already engaged for the 2011/2012 season with multiple orchestral and solo performances across the world.
Jan has played at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, Kaufman Hall, Salle Cortot and has shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman is a world-renowned violinist, violist, and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his ongoing 45-year career has seen him perform with the world's best-known orchestras and record over 100 works...
, James Ehnes
James Ehnes
James Ehnes, CM is a Canadian concert violinist.The son of Alan Ehnes, trumpet professor at Brandon University and Barbara Ehnes, former director of the Brandon School of Dance, James Ehnes began his violin studies at the age of four...
, and Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
. He has performed in the USA, Korea, China, Japan, France, Germany, England, Scotland, Italy, Guatemala, Germany, Poland and throughout Canada. Jan is a dedicated performer of chamber music and has collaborated with the New Zealand String Quartet, Quatour Ébène, and the Penderecki String Quartet, appearing on festivals including the Merano Festival, Menton Festival, d'Auvers-sur-Oise Festival, Seoul Festival, Chopin and his Europe Festival and many others in Canada and the USA.
Recognized for his poetic and mature playing, Lisiecki was awarded many prestigious awards including the 2010 "Debut Atlantic" tour, the 2010 Révélations Radio-Canada Musique, and the 2011 Jeune Artiste des Radios Francophones.
Jan has won numerous major Canadian music titles. In 2009 he was awarded Grand Prize at the OSM Standard Life Competition (the youngest in history). In 2008 he won the Grand Award in both the Canadian Music Competitions (June 2008) and the Canadian Music Festival (August 2008, as the youngest in history). Jan was a prize winner in seven international competitions in the USA, Italy, England, and Japan.
In 2008, Jan performed the Chopin F minor Concerto and was named the sensation of the prestigious festival “Chopin and His Europe” in Poland. In 2009, he returned to Warsaw performing the Chopin E minor Concerto, receiving glowing reviews and praise from critics. The concerts where broadcast by the Polish Radio 2. Jan’s debut CD, featuring these two live performances, with Sinfonia Varsovia and Howard Shelley
Howard Shelley
Howard Gordon Shelley OBE is a British pianist and conductor. He was educated at Highgate School and the Royal College of Music...
, was released at the beginning of 2010 by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute as catalogue No. 1 on the new “White Series”. The CD was awarded the prestigious Diapason d’Or Découverte award in May 2010. The Diapason magazine describes Lisiecki as “an unmannered virtuoso already with virile, and above all, irresistibly natural playing.” BBC Music Magazine
BBC music magazine
BBC Music Magazine is a magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom by BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC. Reflecting the broadcast output of BBC Radio 3, the magazine is devoted primarily to classical music, though with sections on jazz and world music. Each edition comes...
s’ July 2010 review commended "Lisiecki's mature musicality,” and his “sensitively distilled” interpretation of the contrasting concerti, played “with sparkling technique as well as idiomatic pathos”, noting that “even in a crowded CD catalogue, this refreshingly unhyped CD release is one to celebrate".
His performances have been broadcast nationally on CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
in Canada, Polish Radio, Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
, Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg may refer to:*Radio Luxembourg , a Long Wave commercial radio station that began broadcasting from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1933...
, Austrian Radio, and German Radio, as well as on French Television 3 and the TV 1 and 2 in Poland. Jan was featured in the CBC Next! Series on March 1, 2009, on Sunday Afternoon in Concert as one of the most promising young artists in Canada. Two of his recitals that were recorded by the CBC are available on their "Concerts on Demand" website. On September 7, 2009, CBC National News broadcast a Joe Schlesinger
Joe Schlesinger
Joe Schlesinger is a veteran Canadian journalist who for four decades has reported for CBC Television News from every corner of the world. Born in Vienna in 1928, Schlesinger was raised in Czechoslovakia. In 1939, after Hitler dismembered the country, Joe's parents sent him for safety to England...
documentary about Jan, "A Reluctant Prodigy".
Jan performs frequently for various charity organizations, including the David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
Foundation, the Polish Humanitarian Organization and the Wish Upon a Star Foundation. In June 2008 he was appointed a National Youth Representative by UNICEF Canada.
Upon the school board’s recommendation Jan was accelerated four grades. In January 2011, he graduated from Western Canada High School
Western Canada High School
Western Canada High School is a public senior high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has classes for grades 10 through 12. Western is located in the 17th Avenue business district of the Lower Mount Royal community, and is the most centrally located public high school in Calgary.-History:The...
in Calgary, Canada.
Mentors
- Pinchas ZukermanPinchas ZukermanPinchas Zukerman is a world-renowned violinist, violist, and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his ongoing 45-year career has seen him perform with the world's best-known orchestras and record over 100 works...
– conductor, violinist - Boris BrottBoris BrottBoris Brott, OC, O.Ont is a Canadian conductor and motivational speaker.Born in Montreal, the son of violinist and composer Alexander Brott and cellist Lotte Brott, and brother of cellist Denis Brott....
– conductor - Howard ShelleyHoward ShelleyHoward Gordon Shelley OBE is a British pianist and conductor. He was educated at Highgate School and the Royal College of Music...
– pianist, conductor - Colleen Athparia – pianist
Highlights
- 2011 – Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal debut, New Symphony Hall, Place des Arts, Montreal, Canadahttp://www.orchestremetropolitain.com/concert-billet-detail/great-classics-the-season-s-opening-concert
- 2011 – Jeune Artiste des Radios Francophones (award)
- 2010 – Deutsche Grammophon exclusive artist
- 2010 – Diapason d’Or Découverte (award)
- 2010 – Révélations Radio-Canada Musique (award)
- 2010 – Orchestra London debut, London, Canadawww.orchestralondon.ca
- 2010 – Symphony Nova Scotia debut, 2 concerts, Halifax, Canada
- 2010 – Chicago debut, Newberry Library Auditorium, Chicago, USA
- 2010 – Tokyo debut, Kioi Hall, Tokyo, Japan
- 2010 – Brussels debut, l’Orchestre de Chambre de Wallonie, Hulencourt, Belgium
- 2010 – Symphony New Brunswick debut, 3 concerts, Canada
- 2010 – "Debut Atlantic" 10 concerts tour, Canada
- 2010 – Fête de la Musique de Tremblant Festival debut, Mont Tremblant, Canada
- 2010 – Soloist, 30th Anniversary of “Solidarity” directed by Robert Wilson, Gdańsk, Poland
- 2010 – Merano International Music Festival debut, Merano, Italy
- 2010 – Music Mountain Music Festival Debut, Falls Village, USA
- 2010 – Orford Music Festival debut, Orford, Canada
- 2010 – Sratford Summer Music Festival debut, Stratford, Canada
- 2010 – Soloist, Canada Day Performances from Parliament Hill
- 2010 – Toruń Symphonic Orchestra debut, Toruń, Poland
- 2010 – Guatemala debut, Auditorium Juan Bautista Gutiérrez, Guatemala City, Guatemala
- 2010 – Washington debut, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Washington, USA
- 2010 – Korea debut, Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul, Korea
- 2010 – Regional Orchestra of Cannes, 4 concerts with Nelson Friere, Cannes, Nice, France
- 2010 – Germany debut, Gasteig, Kleiner Kozersaal, Munich, Germany
- 2010 – Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra debut, Wrocław, Poland
- 2010 – 6th International MIDEM Classical Awards Gala – live broadcast of concert by Polish Radio, Radio France, Radio Luxembourg, Austrian Radio, and German Radio
- 2009 – Festival d'Auvers-sur-Oise debut, Paris, France
- 2009 – Soloist, Summer Concerts, National Arts CentreNational Arts CentreThe National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
with Pinchas ZukermanPinchas ZukermanPinchas Zukerman is a world-renowned violinist, violist, and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his ongoing 45-year career has seen him perform with the world's best-known orchestras and record over 100 works...
conducting, Ottawa, Canada - 2009 – Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival debut, Ottawa, Canada
- 2009 – 60eme Festival de Musique de Menton debut, Menton, France
- 2009 – France debut, Salle Cortot, Animato Series, Paris, France
- 2009 – Rose Wagner Hall debut, Gina Bachauer International Piano FoundationGina Bachauer International Piano FoundationThe Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is best known for its Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, the second largest piano competition in the United States...
, Salt Lake City, USA - 2008 – 92nd Street Y debut, Zukerman Chamber PlayersZukerman Chamber PlayersThe Zukerman Chamber Players is a world-renowned chamber ensemble led by violinist and violist Pinchas Zukerman. Formed in 2003, they have performed over 40 concerts around the world and recorded two CDs....
, New York, USA - 2008 – Canadian Museum of Civilization debut, Ottawa, Canada
- 2008 – Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall debut, Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw, Poland
- 2008 – Minnesota Orchestra Debut, Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, USA
- 2008 – Orchestre Symphonique de Québec debut, Quebec City, Canada
- 2008 – Carnegie HallCarnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
debut, New York, USA - 2008 – Place-des-Arts debut, McGill Chamber Orchestra, Montreal, Canada
- 2007 – Festival of the SoundFestival of the SoundFestival 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...
debut, Parry Sound, Canada - 2006 – National Gallery of CanadaNational Gallery of CanadaThe National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
debut, Ottawa, Canada - 2006 – Soloist, National Arts Center 10th Anniversary Gala, Ottawa, Canada
- 2006 – Soloist, Canada Day Concerts, National Arts Center, Ottawa, Canada
- 2006 – Performance for Her Excellency, Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle JeanMichaëlle JeanMichaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
, Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Canada - 2006 – National Arts CenterNational Arts CenterThe National Arts Center is a sanctuary for young and aspiring Filipino artists that is located in Mount Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna, the Philippines.The Center was established in 1976 by First Lady Imelda Marcos as a haven for young and aspiring artists...
Debut, Ottawa, Canada - 2005 – Calgary Philharmonic OrchestraCalgary Philharmonic OrchestraThe 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...
Debut, the youngest in history winner of the Mozart Competition, Calgary, Canada - 2004 – Orchestral Debut at age 9, Calgary Civic Symphony, C3 Concerto Competition Winners' Gala, Calgary, Canada
Discography
A debut CD was released in January, 2010, by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute.From the Fryderyk Chopin Institute's website:
"The first CD opening a new series of recordings performed on modern pianos. It is the recording of the Piano Concertos in F minor and E minor by Fryderyk Chopin, which were performed at the National Philharmonic Concert Hall during the festival Chopin and His Europe in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The performer was Jan Lisiecki, a 14-year-old great talent, born in Calgary. He was accompanied by Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by the British conductor and pianist Howard Shelley.
Recorded during the festival Chopin and his Europe at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, August 21, 2008 [1–3] and August 20, 2009 [4–6]."