Maryla Jonas

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The pianist Maryla Jonas (b. May 31, 1911, Warsaw, Poland - d. July 3, 1959, New York, New York),[1] pronounced Marie-la, was born in Warsaw, Poland, debuting her pianistic talent at the age of 9. In spite of Jonas's father's misgivings about a career in piano performance, Jonas studied with the Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski-a fellow pupil of Witold Małcużyński and Halina Czerny-Stefańska—and made her debut with the Warsaw Philharmonic in 1920.[2] Jonas's adult career started in 1926 with a tour of various European capitals starting in Germany. Jonas's touring career proved successful and paved the way for a 13th place finish in the second International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in 1932. Alexander Uninsky took first prize in the same competition. In 1933 Jonas won the Beethoven prize of Vienna and following her victory established a successful European-based performance career.[3]

Jonas's success in establishing herself as a European touring pianist was overshadowed in 1939 by the German invasion of Poland. Jonas refused the invitation of a Gestapo agent to move to Berlin and perform in a safer environment. As a result of her refusal to move to Berlin, Jonas was arrested and remained in custody for several weeks. A German officer who had once heard her perform in Germany took pity on her and had her released. The German officer advised Jonas to travel to Berlin and visit the Brazilian Embassy for aid. Jonas took the German officer's advice and traveled to Berlin on foot, walking several hundred miles short of food and without recourse to safe shelter. The distant walk to Berlin is likely to have seriously damaged Jonas's health and may have resulted in her untimely death at the age of 48.[4]

Jonas's connection with the Brazilian embassy in Berlin proved fortuitous for her. The embassy supplied Jonas with false records that made her out to be the wife of the Ambassador's son. Jonas traveled from Berlin to Lisbon and finally settled in the capital of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. In the year 1940, while residing in Brazil, Jonas suffered a nervous breakdown and lived several months in sanatoriums. When it looked as though Jonas was on the mend, she received the painful news that one of her brothers had been killed. The news of her brother's death was followed by news that her husband and parents had also died. The painful losses Jonas experienced, resulting from the Nazi invasion of Poland, made the prospects of her future as a pianist appear unlikely. Jonas's sister and Artur Rubinstein, another famous Polish pianist, offered their support to Jonas and opened the possibility for her to return to performing and recording piano music. Jonas resumed her pianistic career in New York making her debut at Carnegie Hall in February, 1946.[5]


References

  1. ↑ Slonimsky, Nicolas; Theodore Baker (1992). Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Eighth Edition. New York, New York: Schirmer Books. 
  2. ↑ "Pupil of Paderewski Made Debut at Nine". (July 5, 1959) The New York Herald Tribune.
  3. ↑ Dobson, Jonathan (2000). Piano Masters: Maryla Jonas (CD). Sussex, England: Pearl. insert. GEM 0077.
  4. ↑ "Concert Performer Here Was Hailed as an Interpreter — Pupil of Paderewski". The New York Times. (July 5, 1959).
  5. ↑ Taubman, Howard (May 10, 1947). "Lady Who Has Lived". Liberty Magazine, pp. 28-29, 83-84.

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