Speaking soundly: The Ax-man cometh
Daily Comfort ZoneThis is a rebroadcast of David Krauss’s fascinating conversation with the iconic pianist Emanuel Ax.
Manny, who grew up in the Soviet Union, describes how he manages to adjust to a different piano in every city. ‘I didn’t practise a lot when I was a kid,’ he says.
Listen here.
I never knew Winnipeg and NYC were in the “Soviet Union”. My goodness.
Well, Winnepeg surely isn’t.
As Mr Ax says in the linked podcast episode, he was born in the Soviet Union, moved to Poland as a youth, and then to New York. No Winnipeg involved. And he started his piano instruction in the Soviet Union.
His family lived a couple of years in Winnipeg, but most of his childhood was in Warsaw. His referred language is Polish. All the countries he has lived in tend to claim him, but he is a US citizen.