Weight in the Fingertips
Ukrainian-American pianist Inna Faliks' recent book tells the story of her upbringing in a Soviet state and her path to becoming a concert pianist
Ukrainian-American pianist Inna Faliks' recent book Weight in the Fingertips was published in October 2023 by Backbeat Books. It is described as a 'globe-trotting memoir' which tells her account of growing up 'as a child prodigy in a Soviet state and her rise to becoming an internationally renowned concert pianist'. The book is available from Backbeat Books or from Amazon.
Inna Faliks: Weight in the Fingertips.
© 2023 Backbeat Books
Inna Faliks says:
It is about being a Jewish girl from Ukraine, about being an immigrant, being honest to yourself, about sticking to you guns (in art and in life), about trusting in and being open to love, about grief, the sheer delight, wonder and hilarity of our crazy music world, and about the passion of living a life in music. And I hope that all of this continues to inspire and engage.
Throughout, Faliks provides powerful insights into the role of music in a world of conflict, change, and hope for a better tomorrow. She comments:
I am so delighted to see how my memoir has resonated with so many people, both musicians and non-musicians alike. Writing this book felt inevitable, a process that is joyous and all encompassing. It has many layers, and, I think, will impact many readers at a time when these sharing intersecting stories is crucial.
Further information: www.backbeatbooks.com
Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks has made a name for herself through her commanding performances of standard piano repertoire, as well genre-bending interdisciplinary projects, and inquisitive work with contemporary composers. After her acclaimed teenage debuts at the Gilmore Festival and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she has performed on many of the world's great stages in recital and with many major orchestras, performing with conductors including Leonard Slatkin and Keith Lockhart.
Faliks collaborates with and gives first performances of music by some of today's most significant composers, including Billy Childs, Richard Danielpour, Timo Andres and Clarice Assad. She is known for her poetry-music series Music/Words, and has worked with a number of prominent poets. She regularly tours her monologue-recital Polonaise-Fantasie, the Story of a Pianist, which tells the story of her immigration to the United States from Odessa (recorded on Delos). Her discography includes Manuscripts Don't Burn (Sono Luminus, May 2024), which consists of first recordings alongside nineteenth and twentieth century works. Also in her catalogue: Reimagine: Beethoven and Ravel (Navona Records), and all-Beethoven and Rachmaninov/Ravel/Pasternak discs on MSR Classics. In addition to her other impressive accomplishments, she is is head of Piano Studies at UCLA and is a critically acclaimed writer.
Further information: innafaliks.com
Posted 23 February 2024 by Keith Bramich
