{"id":165578,"date":"2026-09-27T10:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T14:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/interviews-panm360\/janina-fialkowskaadieux-farewell-tournee-tour-concert-montreal-orchestre-classique-andrei-feher-interview-entrevue\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T11:01:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T15:01:05","slug":"janina-fialkowskaadieux-farewell-tournee-tour-concert-montreal-orchestre-classique-andrei-feher-interview-entrevue","status":"publish","type":"interviews","link":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/en\/interviews-panm360\/janina-fialkowskaadieux-farewell-tournee-tour-concert-montreal-orchestre-classique-andrei-feher-interview-entrevue\/","title":{"rendered":"Janina Fialkowska: for the first time at Maison symphonique\u2026 to bid farewell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A career spanning five decades, studies with Yvonne Lef\u00e9bure and the mentorship of a certain Arthur Rubinstein, the honour of being the first pianist, in 1990, to publicly perform Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 3<\/em>, rediscovered the previous year, an exceptional mastery of the romantic and classical repertoire (Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart\u2026), this only begins to touch on what the artistic life of Montrealer Janina Fialkowska represents. The pianist, at 75, will retire from international concerts (she will probably still play in Germany, where she lives, and around) in 2027, just after a farewell tour that will take her everywhere in Canada. Including the Maison symphonique de Montr\u00e9al, on Friday, October 2, 2026. What is really crazy about this story is that this visit to the hall will be the first that Fialkowska will make as a performer! No, she had never played there before. What an irony that it is for a concert… of farewells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For both music lovers and novices, the experience will be worth it. The natural elegance, sense of style, and fine and generous musicality of the great lady of the piano will offer a high-quality artistic experience. On this occasion, she will play Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto<\/em> with the Orchestre classique de Montr\u00e9al (OCM), under the direction of Andrei Feher. A substantial meeting, supported by history because, if Janina Fialkowska is a piano icon, one might forget that the OCM is the oldest chamber orchestra in Canada (this includes its first incarnation as the McGill Chamber Orchestra).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took the opportunity to discuss with Ms. Fialkowska about her life, music, and other things, a first for me. Which makes me regret not having had the opportunity before, as the artist is so generous and intellectually stimulating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INFO AND TICKETS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PanM360 : Last time in Montreal on stage, but not at all, isn\u2019t it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janina Fialkowska :<\/strong> No, of course not. I still have family and friends here, and everywhere in Canada. Besides, I will be back in Montreal next year for the International piano competition. I will be part of the Jury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PanM360 : How difficult was it to take this decision?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janina Fialkowska :<\/strong> That’s a very good question. First of all, I’ve had the example of quite a few of my older colleagues who I admired beyond anything, who played on beyond their best playing. And it just broke my heart. But what breaks my heart most is when I hear the young people who come to play for me and they say, oh, well, so-and-so wasn’t very good, was he? And they’re talking about one of the greatest pianists of all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always had that at the back of my mind, that it’s best to leave when you’re still playing well, which I hope I am. But you know, after a while, also, the travel is no longer fun. The expenses of travel have gone up enormously. Flying across the Atlantic has become really unpleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, little things like renting cars in Canada. Of course, you have to rent cars if you’re playing in the smaller towns in this country. Have you seen how much it costs to rent a car? It’s just crazy. So there are those things. And then, you know, I’m 75 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, there are the muscles. A lot of playing the piano is gymnastics. It’s about moving flexibility and muscles. My flexibility is not quite the same. I have managed, I think, well, in the past two or three years, in that I have vastly diminished my repertoire. I’ve been playing only pieces that I feel very, very comfortable in. I finally realized that it’s so much stress before concerts, thinking I’ve got to play as well as I used to. I don’t want to not give my best to my audience. And I have a duty to the composer as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So there’s no regrets. I’ve made my decision, and I’m happy. I don’t know how I’m going to feel in a year from now. But right now, I’m looking forward to a little bit of retirement and peace and quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PanM360 : Among those masterpieces you have had to \u2018\u2019let go\u2019\u2019, which ones do you regret the most not playing anymore?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janina Fialkowska :<\/strong> It breaks my heart to no longer play the Chopin concertos, for example, but I know that I would not play them as well as I did. So\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PanM360 : Chopin\u2026 You that Arthur Rubinstein called \u2018\u2019a natural born Chopin player\u2019\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janina Fialkowska :<\/strong> Yes, I know.. But, you know, there’s a time for everything. I have very good memories. I can still play the Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto<\/em>, which is, after all, my favorite concerto. I feel very, very lucky that it doesn’t pose any technical problems at all, yet, for me. It just feels very good. I can also play a great many of the Mozart concertos. But, for example, I had to give up Brahms quite a few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brahms concertos, Liszt concertos, I loved playing them. But I can\u2019t anymore. I had to reduce from 50 concertos to about six.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n