On The Bay caught up with The New Classical 102.9’s new host to chat about about being a small-town boy, his fascination with Beethoven, and how the pandemic created a new opportunity to connect with his fans around the world.
by by Roger Klein
World-renowned piano virtuoso Daniel Vnukowski has performed on top stages the world over, from Vienna to China to The Tokyo University of the Arts. His music has echoed throughout such legendary halls as The National Philharmonic in Warsaw, the Certgebouw in Amsterdam, the Salle Pleyel in Paris, among many others. He lives in Southern Georgian Bay and in 2019 inaugurated the Collingwood Summer Music Festival. Now he hosts the Classical Jukebox on The New Classical 102.9 FM, and broadcasts out of the Collingwood Studio on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
“As Thomas Mann once said so eloquently, ‘Art is the funnel, as it were, through which spirit is poured into life.’ ”
— Daniel Vnukowski —
Roger Klein: Tell us about growing up, about your family.
Daniel Vnukowski: I grew up in Niagara Falls and Lasalle, Ontario. I guess you can say I’ve always been a small-town boy at heart. And I still am. However, I left home at the age of 15 and have since lived in some of the glorious, capital cities of the world — London, Vienna, Rome, Warsaw. Music talent skipped a generation in my family, but I’m eternally grateful to my father’s gigantic LP collection, which introduced me to a wide array of classical music at an early age — including all the top ensembles we hear on radio today, such as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Tafelmusik, and the Berlin and Vienna philharmonic orchestras. I grew up in a home that encouraged reading, immersed me in music, and fostered a love for the arts.
RK: Can you remember the first time you knew you wanted to play the piano?
DW: I started playing quite young, at the age of three. My parents told me that I saw a piano made of clear glass in a music shop, and I begged them to take music lessons. I guess, in other words, the piano chose me. However, every local piano teacher in our town at the time told us to hold off on music lessons for a couple years until I could learn how to read. So, my determined parents put me on a crash course in reading, which enabled me to put together some proto-sentences in a short time. Lo and behold, at three and a half, I was officially taking music lessons. Clearly, my parents wouldn’t take “no” for an answer!
RK: Can you recall a memorable moment with one of your music teachers?
DW: My most influential teacher was Leon Fleisher, whose pedagogical lineage extends all the way back to Beethoven. Sometimes our most memorable moments occurred outside of the teaching studio, like the time he and I discovered we were on the same flight to Nice, France. Upon disembarking the aircraft, we engaged in some deep conversations about life and music, after which I soon discovered I had left all my luggage back on the plane. With all the heightened security measures in place, it took hours of pleading to get my stuff back that day!
RK: Which composer really makes your hair stand on end?
DW: Beethoven. Every time I hear the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, I discover something new about the work, about the composer and about myself. He is unsurpassed in so many ways. For example, his life was a continuous struggle with failed relationships and ailing health, but he dared to continue breaking boundaries and forging new musical paths. Just look at the progression of his nine symphonies or the 32 piano sonatas — not a single movement is like any other. By the time I entered college, I knew all nine symphonies like the back of my hand, as I listened to them day in, day out in my youth. They continue to amaze me to this very day!
RK: When did you first consider broadcasting as a career option?
DW: As soon as the pandemic lockdowns hit full force, I didn’t waste a single day to buy all the gear I needed to start livestreaming concerts from home. Although I battled with the technology in the beginning, I soon enjoyed the intimacy of connecting with a worldwide audience from the living room. Within a short time, I began inviting prominent guests to my shows, playing less and listening more. Perhaps that was the beginning of my broadcasting career? It was literally just this past fall ago that I got ‘the call’ from Moses Znaimer (the visionary behind MuchMusic and Citytv) asking me whether I would like to take over Bill Anderson’s afternoon show due to the announcement of his retirement after an amazing 57-year career. At first, I was completely speechless, since my last ‘stable job’ was in my early teens when I mowed my neighbour’s lawns for extra income. My whole life for the past 25 years has been non-stop freelancing, hectic travel schedules, and frequent chaos. At the same time, I was deeply honoured to have been approached for the opportunity, as Bill Anderson was a host I admired. The next day I responded with great enthusiasm, as a job that connects my love for music with the greater Collingwood community is something I am very passionate about. And so began my journey in radio.
RK: What are the top pieces of music on your personal playlist?
DW: I’m just checking now, and the top played pieces in my phone are Bill Evans’ Blue in Green and Chet Baker’s Almost Blue. I’ve long admired the improvisational aspects of jazz piano.
RK: What is your favourite activity when you are not performing or behind the microphone at 102.9 FM ?
DW: If I’m not live on-air, my fingers are usually playing along to the music being broadcasted! However, when I’m not performing, my hobbies include sailing, reading, attending concerts, and international cuisine.
RK: Bonus question. What’s the most important thing you want your listeners to know about you?
DW: I love every minute of time spent in the studio, connecting with listeners and listening to beautiful music. I enter the studio each day in wondrous amazement of everything that’s to come and I leave feeling energized. Each day, I learn a great deal about the mysteries of music and our growing community of listeners. I’m especially amazed by how important music is in people’s day-to-day lives and to hear the many stories of how our dear listeners have been touched by a particular piece of music. I’ve already had moments in which I had to temporarily leave the studio in order to shed a tear of joy or sadness, because that’s the power of art. As Thomas Mann once said so eloquently, “Art is the funnel, as it were, through which spirit is poured into life.”
Daniel Vnukowski
Concert Pianist
www.youtube.com/c/danperforms
www.danperforms.com
