Today, for the first time, I listened to pianist Jan Lisiecki. I was amazed at the range of emotion and passion that this pianist was capable of eliciting from the instrument.
Jan Lisiecki was born on March 23, 1995, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His parents are of Polish descent, a heritage that he’s embraced with many trips back to his mother country to visit family and perform.
Jan developed a high level of emotional maturity at a young age. Even as a child, he rebuffed excessive praise, projecting an air of modesty unmatched in those who are much older than him.
Though many are aware of Jan’s excellence in music, he was also quite the gifted student. He skipped a total of four grades, putting him on a fast track to graduate early and pursue his higher education.
Oddly enough, Jan’s musical beginnings occurred by happenstance. In an effort to help him explore varied interests, he began to play piano when he was five years old. The suggestion came from a counselor at his school.
After finishing his early education, Jan received a full scholarship to study classical piano at the Glenn Gould School of Music. Here he studied for a bachelor’s degree.
Although Jan possessed a great deal of natural ability at such a young age, much of his skill has been honed through years of dedicated practice and hard work. If he was any less passionate, he might not have developed his abilities with the same ferocity.
Here is a fine example of his playing!
