Classical musician Byron Janis – born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on March 24, 1928 - was a remarkable pianist by any standards, but his ability as a player was all the more notable because, for a long time, he concealed the fact he was suffering from a very painful and debilitating form of arthritis. Byron Janis was a child prodigy who began studying music at the age of five under the tutorship of Abraham Litow, himself a graduate of the famed Leningrad Conservatory. Although he lost the feeling in the little finger of his left hand at the age of eleven, Byron Janis continued to dedicate himself to the piano and by the age of 19 had embarked on a concert tour of South America. During an active career spanning many decades, he performed with all the major US and European orchestras. By 1973, he had developed severe psoriatic arthritis in both hands and wrists but somehow kept his condition secret from the public for another ten years. In 1985, he went public about his condition and for the next 30 years, was an active campaigner on behalf of arthritis sufferers, particularly children. During his years as a recording artist, he laid down an impressive body of work covering many of the major piano concertos and is also solely responsible for two volumes of the popular Philips series of Great Pianists of the 20th Century. His back catalog also includes releases such as Byron Janis Plays Blue Danube and Other Favorites (1952), Byron Janis Plays Blue Danube and Other Favorites (1954), Rachmaninoff Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 (1958), Encore (1962), and True Romantic (1999), as well as compilations including the 12 CD box set The Complete RCA Album Collection (2013). During his career, he received many honors and awards including a Grand Prix du Disque and being named a Commander of the French Légion d'Honneur for Arts and Letters. Byron Janis died on March 14, 2024, at the age of 95.
