Wladimir Jan Kochanski

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Wladimir Jan Kochanski is a Juilliard-trained, Texas-born, American concert pianist of Polish ancestry[1]. He is well-known not only for his virtuosity on the piano but for his entertaining and informative humor in concert. Kochanski is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[2].

Contents

[edit] Career Notes

In his six years at Juilliard his instructors included Rosina Lhevinne and Eduard Steuermann. Lhevinne, who was also Van Cliburn’s teacher at the time, described Kochanski as "a dazzling pianist reminiscent of the masters."[3] Not long after he completed his studies in 1959, Kochanski was stricken with chronic internal bleeding which caused him to be hospitalized for three years. He was eventually able to recover through diet and lifestyle changes that enabled him to resume his grueling concert schedule. In 1981 he was playing around 100 concerts each season[4].

Besides regular concerts, he has played on a number special occasions for notables, including a private concert for Pope John Paul II[5], as well as performances on the shows Good Morning America, Hour Magazine, The 700 Club and Voice of America[6]. His autobiography, The People's Pianist, was published in 1981 by Crown Summit Books[7][8]. Besides his music, he has been notable in his efforts to promote the welfare of needy Poles in Poland, for which he has received the Order of Polonia Restituta[9].

[edit] Proteges and Pupils

Kochanski has been a mentor to a number of other pianists, in some cases those who have become rather more famous than himself, including Christine Anderson[10], and Spencer Huston[11].

[edit] Awards and Recognitions

[edit] References

  1. ^ PianoDisc's Artist Series
  2. ^ LDS Celebrities
  3. ^ Mason & Hamblin - eNews: Kochanski records favorite classics for PianoDisc
  4. ^ Mother Earth News, September/October 1981, Newsworthies: Briefs on Frank Serpico, Wladimir Jan Kochanski, Robert Nara.
  5. ^ Baldwin Artists
  6. ^ Wladimir Jan Kochanski
  7. ^ The People's Pianist, by Wladimir Jan Kochanski
  8. ^ The People's Pianist, by Wladimir Jan Kochanski
  9. ^ NOTES ON PEOPLE; A Personal Touch in Helping Needy Poles by LESLIE BENNETTS AND DOROTHY J. GAITER (NYT)
  10. ^ "...the quintessential child prodigy"
  11. ^ Spencer Huston Biography
  12. ^ Wladimir Jan Kochanski - One of PianoDisc's most popular artists
  13. ^ Wladimir Jan Kochanski