Wladimir Jan Kochanski is a Juilliard-trained, Texas-born, American concert pianist of Polish ancestry.[1] He is well-known not only for his virtuosity on the piano but for his entertaining and informative humor in concert.
Contents |
In his six years at Juilliard his instructors included Rosina Lhevinne and Eduard Steuermann. Lhevinne, who was also Van Cliburn’s teacher at the time, described Kochanski as "a dazzling pianist reminiscent of the masters."[2] Not long after he completed his studies in 1959, Kochanski was stricken with chronic internal bleeding which caused him to be hospitalized for three years. Under the guidance of his patron, Dr. Della Moser Pennington, one of the first female physicians in the United States, he was eventually able to recover through diet and lifestyle changes that enabled him to resume his concert career. After the demise of Dr. Pennington, Kochanski formed the Pennington Foundation to assist aspiring pianists. Kochanski began his career using his birth-name, Robert Harvey, and under which he produced his first album, and a handbook for aspiring piano students, "The Magic Key to Keyboard Success". In the mid-1970s Robert Harvey changed his name to Wladimir Ian Kochanski and reintroduced himself as "The People's Pianist". In 1981 he was playing around 100 concerts each season.[3]
Kochanski is a life-long admirer of the legendary Polish pianist, Ignace Ian Paderewski, whose persona has been a guiding reference in the shaping of his professional persona. Besides regular concerts, he has played on a number special occasions for notables, including a private concert for Pope John Paul II,[4] as well as performances on the shows Good Morning America, Hour Magazine, The 700 Club and Voice of America.[5] His autobiography, The People's Pianist, was published in 1981 by Crown Summit Books.[6][7] Besides his music, he has been notable in his efforts to promote the welfare of needy Poles in Poland, for which he has received the Order of Polonia Restituta.[8]
Kochanski has been a mentor to a number of other pianists, although none has achieved international status in the classical music world. Among his many students are Christine Anderson,[9] and Spencer Huston.[10]