Tune Up Magazine has released its April 2024 issue, a special “Classic Arts” edition with pianist, Elena Klionsky, featured on the cover. Klionsky, a Steinway Artist, is featured on the cover, as is her nickname, “The Piano Phoenix,” which she earned for her tremendous comeback story. Klionsky was a world-renowned star; her talents took her everywhere from the Juilliard school to her recital debut in New York City’s Carnegie Hall. She regularly performed in the world’s biggest concert halls, and to sold-out audiences.
In 2002, Klionsky’s world changed when she injured her wrist. She had torn her right wrist while carrying her toddler son, and thus began a journey no musician ever wants to imagine. Klionsky told Tune Up magazine that she has had over a dozen surgeries at this point on her wrists, elbows, and shoulders. She has lived through every musician’s nightmare, and yet she has been able to come out on the other side.
Klionsky has not only proven that her spirit can never be broken, but she has also used her experiences to try and support and encourage other artists who may be going through similar experiences. In 2007, Klionsky published a personal essay, The Anatomy of Healing, on her website. There she details her first injury and all of the emotions and pain that followed. She also spoke to Tune Up magazine about a book of exercises which she wrote while she was recovering which aims to support fellow pianists by helping them to utilize some of what she learned during her many recoveries.
Klionsky was nicknamed “The Piano Phoenix” several years ago after returning from multiple surgeries to a career most young artists dream about. This included tours, performances, CD releases, and awards. Klionsky has done it all, sometimes just weeks after major surgery, and doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.
Tune Up’s “Classic Arts” edition comes after many years featuring mostly pop musicians. This new April issue highlights Klionsky, as well as several others in the world of classical music and classic arts. According to studies, the world of classical music has seen declines in recent years, especially since the Coronavirus pandemic shocked the world and shut down concert halls. Since 2017, the rates of music-listening through electronic means also showed a lack of appreciation for the genres of classical music, jazz, and opera. With this new focus on classic arts, and talents like Klionsky, we assume that the world of classics will be making quite the comeback.