The Piano Six

This afternoon, on CBC Radio 2 (102.1 fm), during the "Studio Sparks" program, the renowned pianist, Janina Fialkowska was performing a number of works (including a presentation of Chopin works and a Romance from Robert Schumann).

This amazing musician and teacher has recovered from cancer in her left arm (after undergoing serious medical care, including surgery). She has extremely limited movement in her left arm (eating, driving and simple everyday movements that we take for granted) EXCEPT when playing the piano. She, graciously, attributes this to the fact that she does not need to move her arm around very much in order to play. She also states, "I can only practice 3 to 3 1/2 hours a day now."

Ms. Fialkowska was one of the founding members of the group called the "Piano Six" (which has since been named, "Piano Plus"). These six pianists travelled to remote areas all over Canada to perform and provide people with access to live performances of classical repertoire. To learn more about this inspirational performer and teacher, I have included a small excerpt from the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada site as well as a direct link to Janina's personal website.


"Piano Six won the National Music Award from the Jean A. Chalmers Foundation in 2000. The plaudits and praise showered on the group by audience members and teachers in the host communities made it clear that their performances were deeply appreciated. Organizers also reported greater success in fundraising projects, as well as increasing audiences, following a Piano Six member's visit. Although not the first organization to make possible classical concerts in small-town Canada, Piano Six's efforts were marked by their emphasis on affordability and on making classical music accessible to school children, by its concentration on the piano repertoire, and the provision of workshops for teachers and piano students."
Author Betty Nygaard King

http://www.janinafialkowska.com/default.aspx