Byron Janis, born on March 24, 1928, is a renowned American classical pianist. Throughout his illustrious career, he has made numerous recordings for prominent record labels such as RCA Victor and Mercury Records, and has contributed to the Philips series Great Pianists of the 20th Century, occupying two volumes.
Janis' repertoire spans a wide range of classical music, from the works of Bach and Guion to the major piano concertos of Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Prokofiev. His exceptional talent was nurtured under the guidance of Abraham Litow until the age of 8, after which he was taken under the wing of the celebrated pianist and teacher, Vladimir Horowitz.
As a composer, Janis has ventured into various genres, including musical theater, television, and collaboration with renowned composers like Cy Coleman. His most notable compositional work is the score for the 1993 Off-Broadway adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
Janis is perhaps most famous for his serendipitous discovery of two previously unknown manuscripts of published Chopin waltzes (Op. 18 and Op. 70, No. 1) in 1967 at the Chateau de Thoiry in France. This remarkable find led to the publication of the manuscripts under one cover in Frédéric Chopin, ed. Byron Janis, The Most Dramatic Musical Discovery of the Age, Envolve Books, 1978.
However, Janis' life was not without its challenges. In 1973, he developed severe arthritis in both hands and wrists, which significantly impacted his ability to perform. In 1985, he publicly shared his struggles with arthritis for the first time and went on to become the First Ambassador for the Arthritis Foundation. In 2012, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless advocacy work.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Janis has written an autobiography, Chopin and Beyond: My Extraordinary Life in Music and the Paranormal, co-authored with his wife, Maria Cooper, daughter of screen actor Gary Cooper. The book was released in 2010. Janis has also hosted a documentary series, A Voyage With Byron Janis, which takes viewers on a musical journey through the life of Chopin.
A biopic based on Janis' life is currently in development, with Martin Scorsese at the helm and a script written by Peter Glanz. The project is inspired by Janis' autobiography and is set to be released by Paramount Pictures.
