Kinga Augustyn
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Kinga Augustyn Contact web: kingaaugustyn.com email: [email protected] 1 Artist biography Award winning Polish-born and New York City-based concert violinist Kinga Augustyn has been described as “an adventurous performer valuable to New York’s scene” (NY Concert Review), “violinist for whom nothing seems too difficult” (Polish Daily News), “stylish and vibrant” (The Strad Magazine), and “beyond amazing, one hell of a violinist!” (The Fanfare Magazine). She has performed as a soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe and Asia. Among them are the German Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin and the Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra; the Polish Chamber Orchestra Leopoldinum, the Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toruń Symphony Orchestra; and the US American Academy of Conducting Orchestra at the Aspen Music Festival, the Rogue Valley Symphony, Riverside Symphonia, the Glacier Symphony and the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist of the Manhattan Symphonie, Augustyn made her Asian debut in 2014, performing multiple concerts at China’s most prestigious concerts venues such as Beijing’s Poly Theater and Shanghai Oriental Art Center. In addition to her many orchestra appearances, Kinga maintains a busy concert schedule as a recitalist and chamber musician with appearances at Carnegie Hall (in both the Stern Auditorium and the Weill Recital Hall), Alice Tully Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Merkin Hall, The Kościuszko Foundation, Bargemusic, The Aspen Music Festival, The Polish and Hungarian Embassies in Washington, DC, and Chicago’s Cultural Center (Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts Series), among many others. She has performed as a featured artist at such festivals as the Memphis in May International Festival, Festival Amadeus in Montana, Paderewski Festival in California, the Sevenars Music Festival in Massachusetts, and the Henryk Wieniawski Festival in Poland. Her artistic collaborations also include violin performances with The Jose Limon Dance Company in NYC. Kinga Augustyn’s most recent and critically acclaimed recordings include Mendelssohn and Bruch Violin Concerti with Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra and Jakub Klecker (Centaur Records), Telemann 12 Fantasias for Solo violin (Centaur Records), Paganini 24 Caprices for Solo Violin (Roven Records), and Glen Roven’s Runaway Bunny Concerto (trio version featuring Kinga’s Solo Violin Cadenza) (GPR Records), with Catherine Zeta- Jones as a narrator. Committed to increasing awareness of music by Polish composers, as well as promoting contemporary music, Augustyn has made a significant contribution to Polish music by recording a highly praised CD of lesser known Polish Violin Music. Released in 2013 on Naxos, the CD called by The Strad Magazine a “fascinating traversar of a century and a half virtuosic music from Poland” includes many world premiere recordings of not only 20th century but also 19th century works! The Fanfare Magazine compares the excitement in Augustyn’s performances of Zarzycki’s Mazurkas to David Oistrakh’s and it applauds her “fresh and dramatic approach to Lipinski’s music” predicting that it “shall bring her new admirers”. Music Web International calls Kinga Augustyn “another discovery”. Augustyn also performs Ysaye’s “Ballade” in the documentary movie ” Solomon Volkov. Conversations with Yevgeny Yevtushenko” filmed for Channel One Russia. Her new contemporary music album will come out in 2018, in addition to world premieres by Polish composer Romuald Twardowski recorded with Torun Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Augustyn has won international awards, including First Prizes at the Alexander & Buono International String Competition (NYC), the Artist International Presentations (NYC), the J.S. Bach String Competition (Poland), the Ackerman Chamber Music Competition (Stony Brook, NY), and the 2015 Oustanding Pole Competition, category “Young Pole”, in the United States. Other top honors include prizes at the Kosciuszko Foundation Wieniawski Violin Competition (NYC), the Johannes Brahms International Competition (Austria), the Kloster Schoental International Young Artist Competition (Germany). Kinga Augustyn began her music studies at the age of seven in her native Poland. Later on she studied at The Juilliard School with Dorothy DeLay, Cho-Liang Lin, and Naoko Tanaka, and earned both the Bachelor and the Master degrees. Augustyn also holds a doctorate from the Stony Brook University, where she worked with Philip Setzer and Pamela Frank. Kinga Augustyn plays on an early 18th Century violin made by Antonius Zanottus, generously on loan to her from a private collector. 2 What critics are saying "…Those acquiring this disc of the challenging 24 Paganini Caprices can be fully satisfied both in matters of technique and interpretation…Augustyn plays the set with finesse and confidence, conveying a sense these pieces are actually not a great challengeto her formidable technical skills. Polish-born, New York City-based Kinga Augustyn plays with seemingly perfect intonationand otherwise impressive technique, while convincingly capturing the musical essence of each piece. Perlman and Midori have offered very persuasive accounts of these twenty-four pieces, but I'm not sure I'd rank them over this new performance by Kinga Augustyn. She is that good. Listeners who are new to this Paganini work, certainly will find Augustyn's performance an excellentversion not only as an introduction to the music but as an enduring benchmark." – Niccolo Paganini 24 Caprices, Op.1, Robert Cummings, Classical Net, 2016 "…beyond amazing (…). Kinga Augustyn is one hell of a violinist. Her technique is tested to the breaking point in the virtuosic pieces, and she emerges unscathed. But also put to the test is her versatility in adapting to the wide range of music and styles presented, and again, she meets the challenge magnificently. Hallmarks of her playing are razor-sharp execution, even in the most taxing technical passages, and a tone of silvery purity high up on the E string, and of full-bodied mocha richness on the G string. That leaves a lot of notes in between, but they’re all produced with equal and even resonance." – Polish Violin Music, Jerry Dubins, Fanfare Magazine, 2013 "…Kinga Augustyn treats both mazurkas with charm and a certain coquettishness, relishing the melodic twists and turns and extrovert technical displays. In the Introduction and Cracovienne and the Andante- Polonaise she keeps a light touch in the energetic fast sections, dancing and laced with virtuosic flourishes. There is plenty of character to his Romance, and to Zygmunt Noskowski’s Chanson ancienne (…). She plays Gorecki’s Sonatina in one movement with driving intensity, before opening out into the more spacious Variazioni, in a performance embracing beautifully shaped, pensive melodic lines and darker, biting playing (…). She shows great sensitivity in miniatures by Paderewski and Lutoslawski before returning to the 19th century for the unashamed virtuosity of Lipinski’s Two Impromptus played with verve and superb control." – Polish Violin Music, Tim Homfray, The Strad Magazine, 2013 "...We were regaled with a very interesting and memorable presentation of Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade (…). Ms. Augustyn’s flawless technique brought out Bernstein’s special violinistic effects with flair, while allowing the inspiring and moving melodies to speak for themselves. Her rich sound, unblemished double stops, and technical mastery of all difficulties were rewarded by warm ovations accompanied by clamorous 'bravos'." – L. Bernstein Serenade with Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Francesco Corti, Magdeburger Theater, Ulrike Loehr, Magdeburger Volksstimme, 2008 "…Music of Ysaye, Lutoslawski, and Szymanowski proved that Ms. Augustyn is an adventurous programmer valuable to New York’s concert scenes (…). Her playing was riveting and stylistically and emotionally varied (…). her impassioned performances and especially her devotion to new music make her a violinist to watch." – New York Debut Recital, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Anthony Aibel, NY Concert Review, 2008 3 Kinga Augustyn Discography Violin Concerti: Bruch, Niccolo Paganini: 24 Caprices Georg Philip Telemann: 12 Mendelssohn, Massenet. Janacek for Solo Violin. Roven Records Fantasias for Solo Violin. Philharmonic. Centaur Records 2014. Centaur Records 2018 2017. Mostly unknown works by Polish With Evan Solomon, piano. Runaway Bunny, The Story of composers, many recorded for the Works by Kreisler, Chopin, Babar, and Goodnight Moon. first time. With Efi Hackmey, Brahms, and others. CDBaby Performed by Trio21, Kinga Piano. Naxos 2013. 2015. Augustyn, violin, Jeffrey Beigel, piano, and Robert deMaine, cello. GPR Records 2012. K. Fuchs: String Quartet No. 5; Famous New York jazz pieces. Michael White: Trio Sonata. Falling Cosmos; Falling Trio. Kinga Augustyn performs on World Premiere. Kinga Kinga Augustyn, violin, performs "55th Street Bop." Roven Augustyn, violin, Alexandra with Trio21, Jeffrey Biegel, Records 2016. Snyder Dunbar, harpsichord, and piano, and Robert deMaine, cello. Jecca Barry, flute. 2013. 2013. Michael White: Quartet for Piano and Strings. Kinga Augustyn, violin. Albany Records 2010. 4 REPERTOIRE Concertos and other concert works for Violin and Orchestra BACH MOZART Concerto No.1 in A Minor, BWV 1041 Concerto No. 3 in G Major K 216 Concerto No. 4 in D Major K. 218 Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV 1042 Concerto No. 5 in A Major K.219 Double Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1043 Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola Adagio