Read the latest news about Janina’s concerts, events, awards and CDs
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Janina greets her audience in the Vancouver "Orpheum"
Arriving in Vancouver only days after the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Olympics, the city was still in high energy mode. This was in fact a rather good thing since Janina embarked on her own Olympic endeavor playing both Chopin concertos in one evening on three consecutive days with the Vancouver Symphony under the direction of Bramwell Tovey. And to make it even more of an undertaking of Olympic proportions a live recording is to be produced from these performances. Check out the preview article found in the Vancouver Sun in which Janina points out with humility what her role should be performing these master pieces.
A surprise visit by Janina's great friend and colleague, pianist Jon Kimura Parker (together with the VSO's music director Bramwell Tovey)
Standing ovations greeted the conclusion of each performance. There were long lines at the CD signing desk and the headline of Lloyd Dykk’s review in straight.com (Vancouver's online source for news, arts, entertainment, culture) praises “Pianist Janina Fialkowska a supreme interpreter of Frédéric Chopin.” The VSO and their charismatic music director, Bramwell Tovey, provided the most sensitive and supportive accompaniment imaginable.
To be continued ...
Janina in front of the historic Convocation Hall (University of Alberta, Edmonton)
Edmonton, Alberta, March 1st, 2010. How to pack for three weeks of spring-like British Columbia with a short stop-over in Edmonton, Canada’s Winter Capital? Well, we gambled and won! Edmonton was experiencing an unusually mild beginning of March with brilliant sunshine and temperatures above freezing. In fact it was quite delightful.
On Chopin’s birthday, March 1st, Janina celebrated the master’s 200th birthday with an all-Chopin recital for an appreciative and enthusiastic audience at the University of Alberta’s historic Convocation Hall.
The short stay ended with an excellent master class where Janina taught two unusually talented and well-prepared University students. Immediately afterwards we caught a plane to Vancouver where the energy of the recent Olympic weeks was still in the air. After months of snow and ice we were greeted by plum and cherry trees in full blossom, green grass, daffodils and hyacinths – blissful!
To be continued …
Janina and the music director of the Wichita Symphony, Andrew Sewell
For a record-breaking sixth time, Janina returned to play with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, thus becoming the most often invited guest soloist in the history of this fine orchestra.
She received instant standing ovations for both her performances of the Chopin E minor concerto and a stellar review, raving about Janina’s sound as being “something beyond earthly creation.” It was her third collaboration with her dear friend, the charming and talented conductor Andrew Sewell in one of the last performances of his ten year tenure in Wichita during which he elevated the orchestra to a new level of excellence.
A standing ovation for Janina's Valentine's Day recital in Welland, Ontario
It’s a unique success story, not only in Canada, but probably worldwide. Despite the global recession which has hit the small community of Welland, Ontario hard, the arts are flourishing in this remarkable town on the Niagara Peninsula. For decades the Welland-Port Colburn Concert association has been selling out the 1000+ seat Ennis Auditorium just by subscription, with an unheard-of annual subscriber renewal rate of 90% (and a waiting list of over 600 people!).
Warmly welcomed by the devoted and hard-working volunteers of the association, Janina performed for a full house and garnered a standing ovation from an enthralled audience for her Mozart-Schumann-Chopin recital program.