Pianist Byron Janis has Died, Aged 95

An American Cold War ambassador and arthritis support advocate, Janis was renowned for his interpretations of Romantic repertoire

The American pianist Byron Janis, who was renowned for his interpretations of Romantic repertoire as well as for the way that he overcame a battle with arthritis, has passed away at the age of 95.

Born in McKeesport, Pa, in 1928, Janis moved to New York at the age of eight to pursue his piano studies with Adele Marcus, and by the age of fifteen — the same year that he made his concerto debut with the NBC Symphony — he had been accepted as a student of Vladimir Horowitz.

During the Cold War, Janis was selected to tour the Soviet Union as part of a USA-USSR culture exchange, and Russian audiences were captivated by his interpretations of Mozart and Chopin.

In 1967, Janis discovered the original manuscripts of two well-known Chopin waltzes, the Waltz in G-flat (Op. 70, No. 1) and the Grand Vals Brilliant in E flat (Op. 18). The documents, which had been languishing in the Château de Thoiry in Yvelines, France, helped to shed light on various aspects of the works.

Throughout his adult life, Janis was a strong advocate for support for sufferers of arthritis. He was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 45, but kept it a secret in the hope that it would not impact his career. Despite severe pain and multiple surgeries, Janis was able to continue performing — and he revealed his diagnosis to the public in 1985.

"It was a life-and-death struggle for me every day for years," Janis told the Chicago Tribune of his battle with arthritis. "At every point, I thought of not being able to continue performing, and it terrified me. Music, after all, was my life, my world, my passion."

"In spite of adverse physical challenges throughout his career, he overcame them and it did not diminish his artistry," said Janis's wife, Cooper Janis. "Music is Byron’s soul, not a ticket to stardom — and his passion for and love of creating music, informed every day of his life of 95 years."

Our condolences to Janis's family, friends, and colleagues.