For many centuries, the roles of a composer and performer were inseparable, and creating transcriptions of music by other composers was considered a sign of respect. In this pre-concert talk, Magdalena Baczewska (concert pianist and harpsichordist; Director of the Music Performance Program at Columbia University) talks about musical borrowing, artistic influence, and recreating a piece of music through the art of transcription, where the interpreter becomes the composer again.
Hailed by the press as “One of the most innovative, even radical classical keyboardists in the U.S.” and described as “Columbia University professor by day, musical sorceress by night,” pianist and harpsichordist Magdalena Baczewska [ba-CHEV-ska] enjoys a multifaceted career as a concert artist, educator, and speaker. Having made her solo debut with the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra at age 12 in her native Poland, Baczewska performed internationally with the world’s leading orchestras: Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, China National Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, among others. She has been praised for her “magnificent, unique voice that stylistically never falters” (Classical Music Guide), “world-class playing” by the American Record Guide, and hailed as “eloquent and technically flawless” by The Washington Post.
The first pianist to play J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations twice in one evening–first on the harpsichord, then on piano–since Rosalyn Tureck’s 1977 double-bill Carnegie Hall performance, Baczewska has toured Europe and the U.S with double performances of the Variations, having also recorded them along with Strauss’ Sonata Op. 5 for her critically-acclaimed album A Tribute to Glenn Gould.
Baczewska collaborates extensively with the Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer Tan Dun, performing his music internationally. Performance highlights include a debut at the Tanglewood Music Festival, soloist appearances with the San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, China National Symphony, and a Canadian premiere of Tan Dun’s Piano Concerto with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. At the invitation of the composer, Baczewska also recorded his chamber music and the Sonata for Piano Solo in Shanghai’s famous Water Heavens Hall.
Baczewska is a professor of music and Director of the Music Performance Program at Columbia University. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Bogdan Zdrojewski, for promoting Polish culture abroad.
The Palm Beach Arts Paper writes “Baczewska enlightens.” As an avid educator, she has given master classes and lectures around the world: Beijing Central Conservatory, New York University, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Manhattan School of Music, International Keyboard Institute, to name a few. As a Yamaha Artist, Baczewska has used the technology pioneered by Yamaha Disklavier, to give remote master classes at the Microsoft School of the Future, Elon University, and Hartt School of Music. In her spare time she volunteers through Selfhelp, Inc., teaching music appreciation online at the Virtual Senior Center. During the COVID-19 pandemic Baczewska produced a video series Bach@Home, available on YouTube, containing piano and harpsichord performances and analysis of works by J.S. Bach, and other composers. While in lockdown she partnered with the Grand Piano Series in Florida, and the Chopin Society of Atlanta, designing and delivering an interactive series of online music appreciation lectures and discussions for seniors, and separately for small children, under the title “The Enjoyment of Music.” Her musical mission, in addition to sharing the timeless beauty of the music itself, is to educate her audiences in each performance, by giving them tools to enjoy music more profoundly.
Baczewska’s discography encompasses a variety of styles, ranging from classical to hip-hop. Together with composer/DJ Gene Pritsker, Baczewska released an album for the harpsichord and samplestra Hip-Hopsichord. She also collaborated with Pritsker on a remix of Music for Dreams – a crossover between classical style and chillhop. Baczewska has also collaborated with the BlueSleep medical team specialized in research and treatment of sleep disorders. Among her releases are three best-selling albums Music for Dreams, and music for MetroNaps’ EnergyPod®, popularized by Google.
Baczewska holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Mannes College The New School for Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music. Her doctoral dissertation, In Search of Bach’s Cantabile: The Role and Aspects of Oratory and Singing in Keyboard Interpretation was published by Lambert Academic Publishing.
For more information and discography, visit MagdalenaNYC.com
