There’s a large room in the National Arts Centre where artists practice. It’s called Rehearsal Hall “B”, and in the last few days when I’ve walked down the hallway, magic keeps pouring out of the room.
The lighting can be a bit dim inside, but when I peeked in today I could see 16 year old Jan Lisiecki, a young pianist from Calgary practicing.
Jan is embarking on his very first tour with an Orchestra, and he is incredibly young to be doing this. But then again, he was younger when he first played with the National Arts Centre’s Orchestra.
In 2008, when the Orchestra was touring Western Canada, Jan was invited to play for the NAC’s Music Director and Conductor Pinchas Zukerman in Calgary. Pinchas describes a small blonde-headed boy sitting down at the piano and playing a Mozart Concerto.
“He blew me away,” Pinchas said recently. “He is such a beautiful talent.”
His talent was so obvious that Jan was invited to play with the Orchestra when he was 11. He has literally grown up with the NAC Orchestra, so when he walks into the building the security guards hug him, the cleaning staff say hello, and the receptionist was overheard remarking, “Jan, you’ve really grown!”
At 6 foot 2 and climbing, Jan now towers over most of the musicians he’s grown up with in the NAC Orchestra. He will be playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in St. John’s, Charlottetown, Fredericton and Saint John.
What a treat for audiences in Atlantic Canada.
And Jan has a wonderful habit of hugging people.
At the end of his opening performance in Ottawa this week as he basked in the applause of the audience he smiled, and then hugged Conductor Julian Kuerti.
Have a great tour everyone.
