Jerzy Stryjniak - Live

"A pianist with strong virtuoso qualities, spontaneous musical drive and rich romantic nature." - Rita Bouboulid- Premier Medaille winner at the Geneva International Piano Competition. Pupil of Edwin Fischer.

"Each time I listen to Dr. Jerzy Stryjniak I am deeply impressed with his pianism and musicianship. He possesses special qualities of virtuosity, an innate flair for the instrument, a wealth of poetry and sense of drama. On his CD from Carnegie Hall I find his feeling for varied idioms alive. The Scarlatti sonata bubbles with Spanish pride, Bach's C-sharp minor prelude and fugue, Book II, has Bachian profundity, while Beethoven's ultimate venture in sonata form, Opus 111, is Stryjniak focused on the Cosmos. The Liszt Sonata in Mr. Stryjniak's hands finds all the Faustian rumblings, and the 7th Transcendental Etude glories in the title Eroica." - David Dubal - Professor of piano literature at the Julliard School of Music. Author of many bestsellers including Evenings with Horowitz and Reflections from the Keyboard.

"Dr. Jerzy Stryjniak's playing is on a par with that of the world's piano elite. He skillfully combines logic with emotional power, wisdom with artistic sensitivity, technical prowess with a suggestive vision of sound. Each episode and each variation in Beethiven's C-minor Sonata shows a concetration of mood and a profundity of character. A dense atmosphere of reflection, meditation and musical narration envelops Liszt's Sonata.

The pianist delights in bringing out the qualities of the instrument's tone in places where Beethoven employs his favoriteeffect of rapidly switching from the very high to the very low tones. Progressions. which came to be a characteristic feature of late Romantic music, he plays with a passion, naturalness and a gradation of tension as if he were a composer. Delightful is the way he molds tones in Bach's C-sharp minor Fugue and Beethoven's Sonata using different articulations in the right and left hand. In Mr. Stryjniak's playing there is not a single bar devoid of mood or emotion, nor is there a single effect for effect's sake. Mr. Stryjniak's Carnegie Hall CD shows him to be a pianist who boasts a remarkable gradation of very distinct tone colors and suggestive moods." - Janusz Ekiert - Musicologist, music critic and writer, author of many books.

"I find Dr. Jerzy Stryjniak's CD from Carnegie Hall truly fascinating. His playing reflects pianism of the highest order - it is full of brilliance and tension, virtuosic courage and tone color, with a clever, well thought over construction throughout. The artist's rendition of the individual pieces shows the different styles of the epochs they represent." - Lidia Grychtołówna - Laureate of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955. Professor of piano at the Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.

"Jerzy Stryjniak's Carnegie Hall recital recording proves once again that he is a superbly gifted and accomplished pianist. Each performance on this CD shows Stryjniak's deep musicality, combined with wonderful technique. Dr. Jerzy Stryjniak's greatest talent shows through in each composition. He plays with delightful fingering and octave technique, with a flourish full of singing." - Adam Harasiewicz - First prize winner of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955.

"This is a wonderful recording by Dr. Jerzy Stryjniak, replete with high virtuosity and musicianship." - Byron Janis - One of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Pupil of Vladimir Horowitz.

"I am writing these words deeply moved after hearing Mr. Stryjniak's recital recorded at Carnegie Hall. I am thinking of the greatest artistic trimphs of Polish piano art stars who many times appeared in this renowned concert venue.

Dr. Jerzy Stryjniak not only amazes and excites the listener with his mastery of the piano, but also captivates the listener with his artistic vision and spiritual wealth, both of which enable him to follow successfully the line of thinking of musical geniuses. The charming tone color in his interpretations, the correct approach to the musical styles he reproduces allows him to venture into a transcendental reality. His moving interpretation of Beethoven's Opus 111 reveals the secrets of the composer's creative inspiration displaying its mysteries.

The Scale of Mr. Stryjniak's piano virtuosity takes away nothing from the deep humanism that is the hallmark of his interpretive talent. His interpretations have the listener follow his conception, they surprise the listener with the magic tone of the piano and with the interpretive solutions reflecting the most subtle gradations of the human spirit. A broad range of expressive nuances, a wealth and subtlety of emotions provide a unique climate of concentration, from the meditation of Bach's Prelude to the unearthly atmosphere of the Beethoven's Sonata's second movement to the expressive vastness in the Liszt Sonata. Resisting the temptation to indulge in a superficial virtuoso display, Mr. Stryjniak adds more brilliance to his virtuosity with a profound and clear content.

Mr. Stryjniak's playing has all the qualities necessary to become a permanent part of the best traditions of each renowned concert hall across the globe." - Regina Smendzianka - Laureate of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1949. Professor of piano at, and doctor honoris causa of, the Academy of Music in Warsaw.

Piano Masterpieces vol. 1

The CD was recorded in April 2000 on a Steinway Piano in Greenwich, CT for American Masters Recording & Management by Carnegie Hall sound engineer Leszek Wojcik. the booklet, with notes by Farhan Malik, describes the contents of the CD in three languages: English, French and Polish.

Regina Smendzianka, professor of piano at the Music Academy in Warsaw and a juror for the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition, said about Mr. Stryjniak' performance on this CD: the beautiful sound of the piano is overwhelming.

That Chopinian bel canto, so necessary in interpretations of Chopin's music in conjunction with a true Slavic lyricism, enchants us from the very first note of the performance.

Alan Kozninn of the New York Times wrote: the Polonaise benefited from a stateliness that lurked just beneath the waves of dazzling surface figuration and the Etudes afforded Mr. Stryjniak an opportunity to show off his technique. These were speedy, assertive performances rendered with an ear for color and texture. Manufactured in the USA.

Liszt - Piano Masterpieces

This CD was recorded for American Masters Recording & Management in December 2001 in New York City, after a series of concerts commemorating the 190th birthday of Franz Liszt who was born on October 22, 1811. the first recital took place at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, NYC, on October 22, 2001. Subsequent performances included recitals in Washington, D.C. and several European cities. The American recitals were introduced with a talk by Dr. Alan Walker, the notable Liszt authority and author of the definitive biographies of Franz Liszt.

The CD was recorded by Carnegie Hall sound engineer Leszek Wojcik. the 16-page booklet by Farhan Malik in English, French and Polish contains a detailed description of the recorded pieces. According to Marta Ptaszynska, composer of contemporary music, Mr. Stryjniak's performance of Sonata in B minor is one of the best in the world. Manufactured in the USA.

Regina Smendzianka, Head of the Piano Department at the Warsaw Academy of Music and Judge for many piano competitions including the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition.

I have just had the pleasure of listening to your Liszt CD. Let me congratulate you on this magnificent achievement. I find this recording not only a stunning personal success, but also a success for Polish piano school in general.

Apart from the impressing spiritual power one can clearly feel when listening to your interpretation, you are able to amaze the listener with your outstanding ability to play piano, which is most clearly illustrated by your high level of intensity. You are not tempted to go onto the cheap path of shallow showmanship. Your ability of using the pedal is impressive - you reveal the 'anatomy' of the incredibly difficult parts of the piece.

Immediately after listening to your Rhapsody no. 2 I started making comparisons.

I reached for Chiffra (I own all of his Liszt rhapsodies). as you can see, your interpretation forced me to compare you with the most brilliant performances ever recorded. I admit that the Hungarian pianist impressed me with an amazing sound. However, he doesn't include ANY cadences. Your choice of Rachmaninoff in the performance is truly outstanding.

Reflections from the Keyboard

" ... wonderful quality by a remarkable Polish-born pianist ... "

" ... Dr. Jerzy Stryjniak plays with a wonderful sense
of the inflection of a piece ... "

" ... has had distinguished career worldwide ... "