I'm so happy to be contradicted so quickly! Right after my post about Víkingur Ólafsson, the brilliant Icelandic pianist, in which I complained about how places like Finland and Iceland seem to produce so many more great musicians than Canada despite having a fraction of the population. And right away a Canadian commentator recommends the young Canadian pianist from Calgary, Jan Lisiecki, who also has seven recordings with Deutsche Grammophon. That'll teach me!
Actually, what I think it really shows is how great a medium the Internet can be when free comments are allowed. You learn stuff.
So here is the Wikipedia page on Jan Lisiecki and let's listen to some of his clips. First a Chopin ballade:
Then a Mozart piano concerto:
Finally, a Beethoven piano concerto:
Now here is the funny thing: I read the Toronto Globe and Mail and some other Canadian newspapers every morning. But I have never seen the name of Jan Lisiecki! Why is that? And if you look at his bio, you see that, apart from one program on the CBC in 2009, almost the entirety of his career has been in Europe where they seem to really appreciate him. And why wouldn't they? The question that comes to mind is why is he so little heard in Canada?
Bryan, I have heard Jan Lisiecki with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and I know he was an early favourite of Boris Brott in Hamilton, having appeared at the Brott Music Festival at the young age of 13. His European popularity is both encouraging and a sign of the challenges facing classical musicians in Canada and North America more generally. Thanks for highlighting this talented artist.
ReplyDeleteHas the cultural climate for classical music changed that much in Canada? Glenn Gould could stay in Toronto and be praised, feted and given free run of the CBC, but Jan Liesiecki has to pursue his career largely outside Canada?
ReplyDeleteI really feel terribly sad for the young classical musicians of today. Lisiecki is lucky in that he already has a bit of a name for himself and likely earned enough to tough it out for a few years. Many others are out of their careers or doing a webstream once every 2 months to an audience of 100 or less for no pay at all.
ReplyDeleteHeartily concur! I retired from my performing career a number of years ago and I am so glad to be in another field these days.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of Jan Lisiecki, but, though I am myself a Canadian, and even an Albertan, I did not know that he is from Alberta!
ReplyDeleteCanada has also given us Marc-Andre Hamelin, whom I think is one of the great pianists currently working.
Amazing that Jan Lisiecki has not had more exposure in the Canadian media. Marc-Andre Hamelin did cross my mind, though I didn't mention him. Also, Angela Hewitt, whose Bach is pretty well known.
ReplyDeleteThe Internet ate my comment. This interview is from Ludwig Van Toronto, last April. Asked if he has words of wisdom to share, toward the end, he replied: Nothing in particular. It’s nice that we still have so many luxuries when you think about it. O Canada!
ReplyDeleteIn case this post has whetted some appetite for Classical CanCon, I offer up the Gryphon Trio. Jamie Parker, pianist for the trio, is the brother of Jon Kimura Parker, also a pianist of significant talent.
ReplyDeleteHarking back to M-A Hamelin, he has an extensive discography on the Hyperion label. Also home to Angela Hewitt. Hamelin's Liszt performances get high critical praise.
I've heard the Gryphon Trio in concert here in Mexico and I own a 3-CD set of their recordings. Fine ensemble! The Parker family is well known as a kind of piano dynasty in Vancouver.
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