Winner of the 6th prize at the 8th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw (1970).
Janusz Olejniczak began learning to play the piano at the age of six. After moving to Warsaw, he attended the State Primary Music School, and later the State Secondary Music School. In both schools, Luiza Walewska was his teacher. In the years 1967-1969 he studied under Ryszard Bakst and Zbigniew Drzewiecki. In 1967, he participated in the International Competition for Young Musicians “Concertino Praga”, where he received the diploma of a finalist. At the age of 17 (1979), he performed at the International Tribune of Young Performers in Paris, as a result of which he qualified to participate in the concert at the MIDEM 1970 record fair in Cannes. That same year he won the 6th prize of the 8th Chopin Competition in Warsaw; two years later he received the 4th prize at the Alfredo Casella International Competition in Naples.
In the years 1971-1973 he studied piano in Paris under Konstanty Schmaeling and Witold Małcużyński. After returning to the country, he graduated from the Warsaw State University of Music in the class of prof. Barbara Hesse-Bukowska (1974). He completed postgraduate studies under Wiktor Mierżanów in Warsaw and Paul Badura-Skoda in Essen (1977-1978).
He has performed in almost all European countries and in Japan, both Americas, Australia and Cuba; he took part in international music festivals in Duszniki, Warsaw, Mariánské Lázně, Nohant, Aix-en-Provence and others. He played under the baton of Witold Rowicki, Kazimierz Kord, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Marek Pijarowski, Charles Dutoit, Grzegorz Nowak, Andrzej Markowski and others. In 1997 he gave the world premiere of the composition "Valse Boston" for piano and orchestra by Giya Kancheli. He has performed in chamber settings with violinists, cellists, and singers .
Janusz Olejniczak has made many recordings for radio and television stations in Poland, France, Slovakia and Japan. For record labels, Polskie Nagrania, Muza, Wifon, Tonpress, Selene, Camerata, Pony Canyon, Opus 111, CD Accord, he recorded the works of Rameau, Mozart, Liszt, Chopin (Fantasy on Polish themes, 2 piano concertos, Sonata in B flat minor , Rondo in E flat major, Barcarole in F sharp major, Berceuse, mazurkas, polonaises, nocturnes, etudes, ballads, scherzos and others), Schubert, Prokofiev, Kilar (Piano concert), Górecki (Piano concert) and violin miniatures with Kaja Danczowska and a recital of Polish songs together with Stefania Toczyska.
The artist starred n a film about Chopin La note bleu by Andrzej Żuławski, he recorded the soundtrack for the film Chopin. Desire for love by Jerzy Antczak and for the movie The Pianist by Roman Polanski.
Janusz Olejniczak as a teacher taught piano class at the Music Academy in Kraków and master classes for pianists in Poland, Canada and Japan. He was a juror of domestic and foreign piano competitions. Nowadays he is a professor of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music and is a member of the jury of the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Poland.
In 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012, the artist performed in Warsaw during the ‘Chopin and his Europe’ festival.
The artist recorded two CDs issued by the NIFC in the series ‘The Real Chopin’:
- NIFCCD 008 Sonata in B flat minor, Scherzo in B flat minor, nocturnes, mazurkas, waltzes
Janusz Olejniczak
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II INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION MUSIC PHENOMENA 2023
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