“Angels & Demons”
In this pre-concert talk, the Grand Piano Series Lecturer in Residence Magdalena Baczewska delves into the representation of otherworldly concepts—Christian divinity, death, heaven, and hell—through the evocative power of keyboard music. Magdalena will discuss how composers channel religious fervor and transcendent emotions into their works, using the piano to depict both the celestial and the infernal realms.
Magdalena Stern-Baczewska [pronounced ba-CHEV-ska] is a concert pianist, harpsichordist, recording artist, producer, speaker, academic leader and educator. She is the Director of the Music Performance Program and Senior Lecturer in Music at Columbia University. She has appeared as a soloist with prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and China National Symphony. She has collaborated with Oscar and Grammy Award-winning artists like Joshua Bell, Charles Fox, and Tan Dun, performing at the Tanglewood Music Festival, Guangzhou Opera House, Beijing National Center for Performing Arts, Davies Symphony Hall, and Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center.
Baczewska’s repertoire spans many centuries, including works for the harpsichord – she has earned acclaim for her double-bill performances of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, on the harpsichord and the piano – and music by women and underrepresented composers. Her discography encompasses various genres, from Baroque and Romantic solo music to collaborations with techno and hip-hop artists. Baczewska has produced the bestselling series of albums, “Music for Dreams,” in collaboration with the Bluesleep medical team that researches and treats sleep disorders.
Baczewska has given talks and master classes around the world: Beijing Central Conservatory, New York University, International Keyboard Institute, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Manhattan School of Music. As a Yamaha Artist, she is among the pioneers of long-distance teaching using the cutting edge Yamaha Disklavier technology. At Columbia, Baczewska embraces her dual role of an educator and academic leader: aside from teaching, she mentors the members of the Music Performance Program and members and the elite Columbia-Juilliard Exchange.
As an avid advocate of equal access to musical enrichment, Baczewska is committed to outreach, bringing music to wider audiences. During the pandemic, she produced “Bach@Home,” a YouTube series of public-facing lecture performances. She also designed and taught “Enjoyment of Music,” an online music appreciation sequence for the Grand Piano Series where she is now the Lecturer in Residence. Baczewska is a teaching artist on Tonebase, a digital platform democratizing access to high-level music education. She also regularly appears as guest lecturer in various concert series. She serves as a Grandmentor for Musical Mentors Collaborative – a nonprofit that provides free music instruction to students who would not otherwise have access to private lessons, addressing structural inequities in music education.
Born in Poland, she is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage for promoting Polish culture abroad.
