Byron Janis

Byron (Yankelevitch) Janis (born March 24, 1928) is an American pianist widely considered to be one of the twentieth century's greatest musicians (Classical CD).

Related Topics:
March 24 - 1928 - American - Pianist - Twentieth century

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He occupies four discs of the Philips Greatest Pianists of the Century series, and is one of thirteen great pianists featured in a Naxos Historical recording. His large and diverse discography from Johann Sebastian Bach to Guion includes arguably the most definitive renditions of all major piano concertos from Mozart to Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev, all the most difficult works in the repertoire, and exceptionally sublime Frédéric Chopin recordings. His pianism is described to combine a Horowitzian technique with a sublime musicality akin to Alfred Cortot's. He has a strong special affinity for Chopin and made a French film on him that was shown around the world.

Related Topics:
Philips - Greatest Pianists of the Century - Naxos - Johann Sebastian Bach - Guion - Mozart - Rachmaninoff - Prokofiev - Frédéric Chopin - Horowitzian - Alfred Cortot

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Janis was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Russian-Polish parents. As a child, he studied at Juilliard School with the Lhevinnes, and received musical influences from Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alfred Cortot. He had lost sensation in a finger in an accident but this did not prevent his debut under Toscanini at the age of fifteen. Vladimir Horowitz attended young Janis's performance of a Sergei Rachmaninoff Concerto and invited Janis to work with him, which he did intensively for four years. He remained his closest friend and the only student ever acknowledged by Horowitz.

Related Topics:
Juilliard - Sergei Rachmaninoff - Alfred Cortot - Toscanini - Vladimir Horowitz - Sergei Rachmaninoff

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In 1960, he was chosen as the first American to be sent to the Soviet Union, and his performance opened the successful exchange between the cold war adversaries. This was the first of his many world tours, on which he premiered many works and performed breathtakingly challenging piano-concerto programs no pianist attempted before or since. In 1967, he accidentally unearthed two previously unknown manuscripts of Chopin waltzes in France — this was considered "the most dramatic musical discovery of our age". For these achievements he occupied the front page of New York Times many times. He also published an edition of Chopin waltzes.

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He was honored by several U.S. Presidents and in 1984, while he was honored by President Reagan at a State Dinner at the White House, he revealed that he had been suffering from severe arthritis throughout much of his decades-long career. The painful and crippling condition eventually required surgery on his hands. However, he miraculously recovered sufficiently to resume performing and recording commercially and continues to do so even today.

Related Topics:
Reagan - Arthritis

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He received a host of the most prestigious honors each of which had not previously been conferred to an American, including the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur and Commandeur des Arts et Lettres (France?s highest decorations), the Grand Prix du Disque and Cannes Classical Award (both for his recording of Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev concertos), and the Harriet Cohen International Award and Beethoven Medal (for his performance of Beethoven sonatas). Other honors include the Classical CD Critics Choice (for his recording of the Rachmaninoff Third Concerto), the National Public Radio Critics Choice (for his all-Chopin CD), and the Distinguished Pennsylvania Artist Award. He is recipient of honorary doctorates and the Sanford Fellowship (the highest honor of Yale University). He is the National Ambassador for the Arthritis Foundation, Chairman of the Global Forum Arts and Culture Committee, head of the Visual and Performing Arts in America, and member on the Board and the Music Advisory Committee for Pro Musicis.

Related Topics:
France - Beethoven - National Public Radio - Yale

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He is married to painter Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of Gary Cooper, and they reside in New York City.

Related Topics:
Maria Cooper Janis - Gary Cooper

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