Jan Cherniavsky

Jan Cherniavsky was born in Uman, Ukraine, on June 25th 1892. He became a Canadian in1922. He was the second of three brothers including Leo, violinist and Mischel, cellist, who performed together as the Cherniavsky Trio from childhood (1901) until 1934, Though all three brothers became Canadian citizens in 1922, only Jan actually lived in Canada, but not permanently until 1934, when he settled in Vancouver. He lived there briefly before 1920, married heiress Elspeth Rogers, and taught piano.He continued to give concerts throughout North America, and in 1958, with his brothers, briefly revived the trio for a tour of South Africa. In Vancouver the pianist was deeply involved in the musical life of the city. He promoted opera, gave concerts in aid of the Vancouver Endowment Trust Foundation and contributed to opera and theatre for children. He played an important part, with Allard de Ridder, in re- stablishing the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1930 He worked to encourage patrons and helpied to inaugurate the orchestra’s Sunday concerts. In 1967 he established the Vancouver Junior Club for the Performing Arts (later the Cherniavsky Junior Music Club), a plan that allowed young people to purchase concert and theatre tickets at a reduced rate. Cherniavsky himself subsidized the club initially, but in 1978 Chevron Canada assumed financial responsibility until 1987 when membership grew to a hugely successful 16,000! Today the Cherniavsky Mr. Music Fund assists schools in purchasing tickets for students to attend a wide range of classical and traditional music, opera, or ballet. Sponsored by the Cherniavsky Junior Club for the Performing Arts Society, the funding program was named after the endowment created by Jan Cherniavsky, the world-renowned classical pianist. The gifted philanthropist died in Vancouver in January 1989.