Name Wladimir Kochanski Role Music master | Education Juilliard School | |
Wladimir Jan Kochanski (b. 5 December 1935, d. 24 March 2015) was a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and enjoyed a long career as a concert pianist. Throughout his career, the Texas-born virtuoso retained a loyal following. Other pianists admired his musicianship, while several studied with him privately and/or attended his summer master-classes in Southern California. In an effort to tear down barriers that can exist between classical performers and their audiences, Kochanski's concerts mixed humorous stories with classical music selections. Kochanski advertised himself as a "classical music entertainer".
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Proteges and pupils
Kochanski taught casually for many years although none of his students have achieved recognition in the classical music world. Among his various students was pop-singer Christine Anderson. Kochanski seldom taught strictly piano technique, but lectured primarily in broad terms about music inspiration. This was especially true of his master-classes as students often attended in-conjunction with instruction from their own private teachers.
Awards and recognitions
Personal life
In his autobiography, Kochanski claimed to have been previously married and widowed; however, public records documenting this union or the existence of a spouse have not been located. In 2003, due to an unsuccessful operation on his lower back, Kochanski was forced into early retirement. At that time, he relocated to the desert of Southern California, where he spent the remainder of his life. On 24 March 2015, Kochanski died after suffering a heart attack. His body was interred at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, California.