TORONTO, April 11, 2019 – Piano Six – New Generation will begin its first season of touring starting May 6, 2019 with visits to Rainy River and Fort Frances in Ontario; Fort Nelson and Fort St. John in British Columbia; and Slave Lake in Alberta. Details for the Fall/Winter Tour schedule will be announced later this year.
Led by Artistic Director Daniel Wnukowski, the organization follows the mission of the original Piano Six initiative (1994-2010) to bring high-quality classical music to small and remote communities in Canada currently without access to live classical performances. Wnukowski has joined forces with Canadian pianists Marika Bournaki, David Jalbert, Angela Park, Ian Parker, and Anastasia Rizikov to fulfill this mission.
“We bring what our passion is – performing piano music throughout the world – into small communities in Canada, places that ordinarily would not have an international artist coming through to perform for them,” explains Wnukowski. “We want to bring a spark to the community, show what the piano can do, and ultimately, open the door to bring more classical performing artists into these communities moving forward.“
A typical visit by a Piano Six pianist lasts 1-2 days and, depending on the community’s wishes, could include a variety of outreach activities such as a masterclass for music students, a workshop for piano teachers, or a school or community concert. The May 2019 tours will feature performances by Daniel Wnukowski and Angela Park.
Polish-Canadian pianist Daniel Wnukowski was just a teen when he first encountered Piano Six at a free masterclass given by its illustrious founder, pianist Janina Fialkowska. The lessons he learned on that day stayed with him for the next twenty years as he built a successful career performing with orchestras and in festivals throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. His program, Piano Through the Ages, takes the audience on a musical journey through the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras with Handel’s dramatic Keyboard Suite No. 7, Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A Major, and Chopin’s 24 Preludes. The concert concludes with a contemporary work by Canadian composer Oskar Morawetz.
Angela Park is one of Canada’s most sought-after pianists today, her versatility as both soloist and chamber musician has led to performances across Canada, as well as in the United States, Europe, Japan and Mexico. She is a founding member of the award-winning Ensemble Made In Canada, the Mercer-Park Duo with cellist Rachel Mercer, and the Seiler Piano Trio with violinist Mayumi Seiler and cellist Rachel Mercer. Angela Park’s program, Scenes From Nature, offers a selection of musical delights that evoke the beauty and power of the natural world including Chopin’s romantic Barcarolle, Ravel’s sweeping “Une barque sur l’océan,” John Burge’s Everything Waits for the Lilacs (commissioned by the original Piano Six in 1996), Beethoven’s “Pastorale” Sonata, selections from Lizst’s Années de pèlerinage: “Première année: Suisse,” and Debussy’s Clair de Lune.
MAY 2019 TOUR DETAILS
| Community | Dates | Details | Pianist |
| Rainy River, ON | May 6 | Rainy River High School (School Concert) | Daniel Wnukowski |
| Fort Frances, ON | May 7 | Fort Frances High School (2 School Concerts) | Daniel Wnukowski |
| Fort Nelson, BC | May 9 & 10 | Phoenix Theatre (4 School Concerts and a Community Concert) | Daniel Wnukowski |
| Fort St. John, BC | May 13 & 14 | Margaret Ma Murray C.S., Robert Ogilvie E.S., Duncan Cran E.S., and North Peace Cultural Centre (4 School Concerts) | Angela Park |
| Slave Lake, AB | May 16 & 17 | Legacy Centre (2 School Concerts and a Community Concert) | Angela Park |
On May 25, Bravo Niagara! will present a special Piano Six Gala Concert at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake, featuring performances by Marika Bournaki, David Jalbert, Angela Park, Ian Parker, Daniel Wnukowski and special guest, pianist Godwin Friesen. The program includes solos by each pianist, Scaramouche by Darius Milhaud and ‘Symphonic Dances’ from Bernstein’s West Side Story (4-hand/2-piano), and the world premiere of a new work for six pianists by Toronto’s Darren Sigesmund. For tickets and information visit www.bravoniagara.org.
“I spent my entire early childhood growing up in Niagara Falls where my mother owned a children’s clothing shop,” says Wnukowski. “There is a great deal of sentiment for me in having the first Piano Six Gala concert in the Niagara region, where my most precious childhood memories were formed.”
Piano Six gratefully acknowledges support of the Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, the Toldo Foundation and Yamaha Canada Music.
About Piano Six
Originally founded in 1994 by pianist Janina Fialkowska, Piano Six created live classical music events featuring Canada’s finest musical talent, in remote and rural parts of the country that were not traditionally served on concert tour routes. In 2004, the company expanded to include other instrumental artists and was renamed Piano Plus. Over a period of 16 years (1994-2010), Piano Six and Piano Plus reached 100,000+ people performing 430 events across Canada. In 2017, pianist Daniel Wnukowski resurrected the original Piano Six model, re-launching it as Piano Six – New Generation, and was joined by Marika Bournaki, David Jalbert, Angela Park, Ian Parker, and Anastasia Rizikov. For more information visit www.pianosix.com.
