Byron Janis
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Biography
Classical musician Byron Janis â born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on March 24, 1928 - was a remarkable pianist by any standards, but his ability as a player was all the more notable because, for a long time, he concealed the fact he was suffering from a very painful and debilitating form of arthritis. Byron Janis was a child prodigy who began studying music at the age of five under the tutorship of Abraham Litow, himself a graduate of the famed Leningrad Conservatory. Although he lost the feeling in the little finger of his left hand at the age of eleven, Byron Janis continued to dedicate himself to the piano and by the age of 19 had embarked on a concert tour of South America. During an active career spanning many decades, he performed with all the major US and European orchestras. By 1973, he had developed severe psoriatic arthritis in both hands and wrists but somehow kept his condition secret from the public for another ten years. In 1985, he went public about his condition and for the next 30 years, was an active campaigner on behalf of arthritis sufferers, particularly children. During his years as a recording artist, he laid down an impressive body of work covering many of the major piano concertos and is also solely responsible for two volumes of the popular Philips series of Great Pianists of the 20th Century. His back catalog also includes releases such as Byron Janis Plays Blue Danube and Other Favorites (1952), Byron Janis Plays Blue Danube and Other Favorites (1954), Rachmaninoff Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 (1958), Encore (1962), and True Romantic (1999), as well as compilations including the 12 CD box set The Complete RCA Album Collection (2013). During his career, he received many honors and awards including a Grand Prix du Disque and being named a Commander of the French Légion d'Honneur for Arts and Letters. Byron Janis died on March 14, 2024, at the age of 95.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S.125: 4. Allegro animato featuring Byron Janis
- Burleske for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor featuring Fritz Reiner
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124 - 2a. Quasi adagio by Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
- Concerto pour piano No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 1: I. Vivace - Moderato
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat, S.124 - 1. Allegro maestoso by Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
- Concerto pour piano No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 1: II. Andante
- Concietro No. 1 en Fa Sostenido menor, Op. 1: II. Andante by Fritz Reiner
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S.125 - 3b. Marziale un poco meno allegro featuring Byron Janis
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S.125 - 3a. Allegro deciso featuring Byron Janis
- Concietro No. 1 en Fa Sostenido menor, Op. 1: I. Vivace by Fritz Reiner
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S.125 - 2. Allegro moderato featuring Byron Janis
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S.125 - 1b. Allegro agitato assai featuring Byron Janis
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A, S.125 - 1a. Adagio sostenuto assai featuring Byron Janis
- Burleske by Byron Janis
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat, S.124 - 3. Allegro marziale animato by Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124 - 2b. Allegretto vivace - Allegro animato by Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 - III. Allegro scherzando by Antal Doráti
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 - I. Moderato by Antal Doráti
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 - II. Adagio sostenuto by Antal Doráti
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 - II. Intermezzo. Adagio featuring Antal Doráti
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 - III. Finale. Alla breve featuring Antal Doráti
- Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30: I. Allegro Ma Non Tanto featuring Charles Munch
- Rachmaninoff: Prelude in E-Flat Major, Op. 23 No. 6
- Schumann: 3 Romanzen, Op. 28 - No. 2 in F sharp (Einfach)
