If you are a longtime classical music fan, then you know who she is.The late great Arthur Rubinstein described her as a “born Chopin interpreter”. In fact, Rubinstein was her mentor. She is described as “one of the Grandes Dames of piano playing”. She is also a Juno Award winner.

She is an alumna of The Juilliard School.She won third prize at the 1974 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition.She is an Officer of the Order of Canada.She was the Chair of the jury for the 2023 Junior Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (aka the U.S. Open of piano). Later in 2025, she will be a jury member of the Honens International Piano Competition in Canada.In this episode, Amos Vang and Janina Fialkowska discuss the evolution of her pianistic performance, the Gorodnitzki technique, her experiences at the Arthur Rubinstein International Competition, the importance of Rubinstein’s mentorship, and the impact of musicality. Janina’s contributions to the performance of Chopin have inspired many pianists around the world.

You can follow Janina on her website: https://www.fialkowska.com/

Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Other music composed by: Amos Vang and Fryderyk Chopin

0:00 – Introduction

3:08 – Janina Fialkowska’s first musical inspirations

4:36 – Yvonne Hubert, Janina Fialkowska’s 2nd teacher

6:51 – Bach's influence is profound in classical andjazz piano performance. I.e. OscarPeterson.

8:06 – Yvonne Lefebure, Janina Fialkowska’s 3rdpiano teacher

8:34 – A pianist must be careful to prevent theatrics fromdistracting the audience from the actual musical performance.

9:58 – What was the Juilliard application process like, forJanina?

13:00 – How influential was Sascha Gorodnitzki to Janina's style?

16:03 – What is the Gorodnitzki piano technique?

18:01 – What were the greatest challenges that JaninaFialkowska faced at Juilliard? How didshe overcome these challenges?

20:41 – Many pianists are introverts.

23:02 – Introverts like Amos and Janina are very comfortablewith their own company and with being alone.

25:58 – Janina Fialkowska ALMOST WENT TO LAW SCHOOL!

28:56 – This is Janina Fialkowska’s journey to the 1974Arthur Rubinstein International Competition

35:29 – Liszt Piano Sonata and Chopin’s Concerto in E minorare LEGENDARY pieces of music.

39:22 – Arthur Rubinstein was Janina Fialkowska’s mentor. What was it like to study with Arthur Rubinstein?

42:35 – Arthur Rubinstein never practiced! He even stopped Janina Fialkowska from practicing!

45:29 – What is musicality to Janina Fialkowska?

49:58 – Yunchan Lim, Bruce Liu, the Cliburn Competition, andthe Chopin Competition

53:09 – Janina Fialkowska believes that Canada is #1 in theworld for piano!

57:21 – To ethnic Chinese people such as Amos Vang, piano istheir hockey

59:23 – Practicing at the Cliburn Competition and for anyother music competition is basically training for an athletic competition forsome (NOT all) pianists.

1:02:23 – Who is Fryderyk Chopin to Janina Fialkowska?

1:05:09 – The polonaise is an official item of the UNESCOIntangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

1:06:50 – Why are the Chopin Competition and the CliburnCompetition so revered among the general public?

1:10:30 – How does Janina Fialkowska express bel canto inher performance?

1:15:47 – In piano competitions, some pianists crash andburn at the finals because they don’t have experience performing with orchestras.

1:16:38 – Polish National Edition vs. PaderewskiEdition. Can there be a genuine Urtextfor Chopin?

1:19:52 – What are the common misconceptions that JaninaFialkowska has seen?

1:20:54 – Despite the achievements of Canadian pianists, theaverage Canadian is not musically literate. Here’s why.

1:23:18 – Sports and music have a lot in common. Can this commonality be a solution toimproving classical music appreciation?

1:26:34 – What are the most important lessons that JaninaFialkowska has learned in her career?

"Columbia University professor by day, musical sorceress by night"! - ConcertoNet

Meet Magdalena Baczewska, a Polish virtuoso pianist, Director of the joint Columbia-Juilliard Music Performance Program, and judge of the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition! Born in Katowice, Poland, Magdalena grew up with a deep passion for piano performance from a young age.

Join Amos Vang as he and Magdalena discuss a plethora oftopics, such Magdalena's career, the importance of musicality, the profound effect of Fryderyk Chopin's music on the world, and the importance of the Canadian Chopin Competition and the International Chopin Competition.

You can follow Magdalena on Instagram: @maguchannyc

Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Other music composed by: Amos Vang and Fryderyk Chopin

-- CHAPTERS --

0:00 – Introduction

3:01 – Reminiscing on the Canadian Chopin Competition

3:47 – What inspired Magdalena Baczewska to learn piano?

8:23 – A pianist can deeply learn music just by listening toit.

10:15 – What were Magdalena Baczewska’s musical influences?

11:30 – Most Canadians and Americans do NOT focus on thedevelopment of classical music appreciation at a young age.

14:11 – To ethnic Chinese people such as Amos Vang, piano istheir pastime!

16:47 – 40 million Chinese children learn piano on any givenday.

18:21 – Skip 1 day of practice = you notice it.

18:37 – Music enforces structure, order, and discipline.

19:02 – In Ontario, music education is in crisis. Here’s why.

20:21 – In the U.S., funding for libraries, culture, and thearts are usually the first things that gets cut.

21:51 – People were fascinated by the talent and skill shownat the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition!

24:06 – Sports and music competitions have A LOT incommon. This is how Amos Vang connectsthese two worlds together.

25:21 – The Canadian Chopin Competition sounded like theOlympics, according to Magdalena Baczewska!

26:47 – As both a pianist and a sports announcer, Amos Vangsees direct parallels between sports and music.

30:27 – How has Magdalena Baczewska’s musical style evolved?

35:11 – Bel canto singing in piano performance

35:55 – Yunchan Lim is one of the fewpianists in history by performing all of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes in one sitting!

37:19 – Wilde Jagd = the Wild Chase.

39:01 – Ivo Pogorelic vs. Yunchan Lim in their performancesof the Wilde Jagd. Pogorelic is SCARY!!!!!

40:37 – Chopin’s Polonaise in A Flat Major Op. 61 has A RICHMUSICALITY BASE.

44:52 – What are Magdalena Baczewska’s tasks as the Directorof the Columbia-Juilliard Music Performance Program?

49:59 – Non-musical perspectives can greatly influence amusician’s musicality

53:09 – Justice Rosalie Abella was a classical pianist. You can see her pianism in her judgmentwriting.

55:03 – What is musicality to Magdalena Baczewska?

58:24 – Music is not just playing random notes, just as howin hockey, a team does not just randomly shoot on goal.

1:02:05 – Why is Fryderyk Chopin’s music so profound topeople around the world?

1:05:10 – Who is Fryderyk Chopin to Magdalena Baczewska?

1:10:57 – Musicians have the ability to express, understand,and appreciate the emotional spectrum because of their musical training.

1:12:42 – Can Chopin’s music be an effective copingmechanism for the world’s loneliness epidemic?

1:14:18 – Chopin’s music can evoke strong emotionalresponses in audiences, musicians or otherwise!

1:18:49 – Music = expression of humanity.

1:23:15 – Many people have NOT had the opportunity toexplore the emotional spectrum to the extent that classical music explores it.

1:25:07 – Chopin has mastered the composition of thepolonaise!

1:25:53 – “Pan Tadeusz” features a modern polonaise!

1:26:50 – Poland was wiped off the map until 1918. This was why Chopin was so passionate about his Polish side.

1:28:44 – What are the most important lessons and rewardingthings that Magdalena Baczewska has learned and experienced in her career?

At 19 years old, she won the CBC National Radio Competition.

She has performed at the world’s most renowned concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Bolshoi.

She is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

She is a 3-time Juno Award nominee.

She is a jury member of the Canadian Chopin Competition and the Junior Van Cliburn International Competition (for context, if the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw is Wimbledon/the Olympics, then the Van Cliburn is the U.S. Open).

She is a crucial checkpoint on the Road to Warsaw.

Join Amos Vang as he features the virtuosic career of pianist Jane Coop, CM OBC. In this episode, Jane and Amos discuss the sheer amount of practice and skill required to even compete at the national and international levels of classical piano performance (6 to 9 hours a day, for pianists as young as 9 years old!), the beauty of Fryderyk Chopin’s music, andthe difficult job that Jane has as a judge of the world’s top piano competitions. Jane and Amos also discusstheir own respective connections to piano performance, the importance of meditating on musical repertoire, and musicality itself.

Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Other music composed by: Amos Vang and Fryderyk Chopin

-- CHAPTERS --

0:00 – Introduction

3:08 – Reminiscing on the Sixth Canadian Chopin Competition

3:42 – What inspired Jane Coop to pursue piano?

5:24 – What were Jane Coop’s early music influences?

9:25 – At 19, Jane Coop won 1st prize at the CBCNational Radio Competition. What was itlike for her to win that prize?

11:00 – What is it like to perform at Carnegie Hall, WigmoreHall, and the Bolshoi?

12:15 – Most classical music listeners do NOT focus on thecelebrity. Rather, they focus on the performance’s quality itself.

16:20 – More Canadians and Americans are appreciatingclassical music, especially Chopin!

17:47 – How does Jane Coop judge the Cliburn, the Honens,and the Canadian Chopin Competition?

20:25 – Young Chinese pianists practice A LOT – 6 hours aday! Even then, it’s NOT ENOUGH!

23:36 – Choosing the top 3 of the Canadian ChopinCompetition was extremely difficult!

24:22 – The final round of the 2025 International ChopinCompetition has a new requirement: play the Polonaise-Fantasie in A flat Major Op. 61 along a Chopin concerto!

24:46 – Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasie in A flat Major says a lot more musically than his concerti!

28:16 – What is musicality?

30:41 – Modern grand pianos (especially modern concert grandpianos) are VERY different from Chopin’s Pleyel pianos.

32:41 – Who is Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin to Jane Coop?

36:08 – The Chopin Competition = Wimbledon, and the VanCliburn = U.S. Open!

37:55 – The jury of the International Chopin Competition hasan EXTREMELY DIFFICULT JOB!

39:00 – Jane Coop owns a Hamburg Steinway piano. What is the difference between a New York Steinway and a Hamburg Steinway?

40:20 – At the 2021 International Chopin Competition, eachcompetitor only had 15 minutes to try out all 5 pianos.

42:37 – In what ways has Chopin surprised Jane Coop?

45:37 – Will it ever be possible to have a true Urtext forChopin?

49:15 – How does Jane Coop practice piano?

52:08 – The finest instrument is the mind!

54:48 – How does Jane Coop balance her musical philosophyand Chopin’s musical philosophy in her performances?

58:53 – How has Jane Coop’s music style evolved over herentire performing career?

1:00:46 – In musical performance, show, don’t tell!

1:01:43 – How does Jane Coop cooperate with different musicensembles in performance?

1:07:14 – How to watch or listen to the International ChopinCompetition?

1:11:57 – Canada has a misconception of classical music asan elitist genre.

1:21:52 – What are the most rewarding aspects of Jane Coop’scareer? What are the most importantlessons that Jane Coop has learned?