Jan Lisiecki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Lisiecki
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Lisiecki, 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jan Miłosz Lisiecki |
| Born | March 23, 1995 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics |
Jan Lisiecki (born March 23, 1995) is a super talented Canadian classical pianist. He plays piano all over the world with famous orchestras and conductors. He started recording music with Deutsche Grammophon, a big music label, when he was just 15 years old. By the time he was 18, Jan had already won important awards like the Gramophone Young Artist Award and the Leonard Bernstein Award.
Contents
Becoming a Piano Star
Early Life and Learning
Jan Lisiecki was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He started taking piano lessons when he was five years old. By the age of nine, he was already performing with an orchestra! This shows how quickly he became good at playing the piano.
When Jan was 13, he got a special invitation. He went to the "Chopin and his Europe" festival in Warsaw, Poland. There, he played a difficult piece called Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2. He played with the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra and conductor Howard Shelley. Everyone at the festival was amazed by his performance. He was invited back the next year to play another Chopin concerto.
First Recordings and Big Break
The performances from the Chopin festival were released as an album in 2010. This was Jan's first album, and it brought him international attention. The recording won an award called the Diapason d’Or Découverte. Music critics praised his "mature musicality" and how well he understood Chopin's music.
Because of this successful album, Deutsche Grammophon offered Jan an exclusive contract. He signed with them when he was only 15 years old. This was a huge step in his career.
Performing for Royalty
In 2010, Jan Lisiecki had a very special performance. He played for Queen Elizabeth II and a crowd of 100,000 people. This happened on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as part of Canada Day celebrations.
School and Further Studies
Jan was so smart that he skipped four grades in school! He graduated early from Western Canada High School in Calgary in 2011. After that, he went to The Glenn Gould School in Toronto. This is part of The Royal Conservatory of Music. He received a full scholarship to study there, which means he didn't have to pay for his lessons.
Jan in the Media
Jan Lisiecki's performances are often shown on Radio and television around the world. He has been featured in many news stories in Europe and North America.
In 2009, a documentary was made about him called The Reluctant Prodigy. It was shown on CBC National News. Later, in 2019, Jan was part of a virtual reality project called SchumannVR. This project was about the lives of famous composers Robert and Clara Schumann.
Helping Others
Jan Lisiecki also spends time helping others. He does charity work and performs for organizations like the David Foster Foundation. He also supports the Polish Humanitarian Action and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2012, he became a UNICEF Ambassador to Canada. He had been a National Youth Representative for UNICEF since 2008.
Awards and Recognitions
Jan Lisiecki has won many awards throughout his career. These awards show how talented he is and how much his music is appreciated.
- 2008: Grand Award, Canadian Music Competition
- 2008: Grand Award, Canadian Music Festival (he was the youngest person ever to win this)
- 2009: Grand Prize, OSM Standard Life Competition (again, the youngest ever)
- 2010: Diapason d'Or Découverte Award
- 2010: Gold Award, Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry
- 2012: UNICEF Ambassador to Canada
- 2013: Gramophone Young Artist of the Year (he was the youngest ever to win this important award)
- 2013: Leonard Bernstein Award, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival
- 2018: Juno Award, Classical Album of the Year (for his album Chopin: Works for Piano and Orchestra)
Images for kids
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Lisiecki meeting Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, in Ottawa in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Jan Lisiecki para niños
