On today’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert, Polish born violinist Kinga Augustyn along with pianist Kalina Mrmevska perform music of Prokofiev and Kreisler.
Kinga Augustin and Kalina Mrmevska
Playlist
FROM THE IMG WEBSITE
Kinga Augustyn, Violin
Kalina Mrmevska, Piano
Polonaise de concert, Op. 4 (5’)
Henryk Wieniawski (1835 – 1880)
Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94a (23’)
I. Moderato
II. Presto – Poco piu mosso del – Tempo I
III. Andante
IV. Allegro con brio – Poco meno mosso – Tempo I – Poco meno mosso – Allegro con brio
Sergei Prokofiev (1891 – 1953)
3 Old Viennese Dances (9’)
I. Liebesfreud (Love’s Joy)
II. Liebesleid (Love’s Sorrow)
III. Schön Rosmarin (Lovely Rosemary)
Fritz Kreisler (1875 – 1962)
Polish-born and New York City-based virtuoso violinist Kinga Augustyn has been described as “stylish and vibrant” (Strad Magazine), and “beyond amazing, one hell of a violinist!” (Fanfare Magazine).
She has performed as soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe and Asia including the Wrocław and the Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestras, the Aspen American Academy of Conducting Orchestra, and the Riverside Symphonia, among others. As a soloist with the Manhattan Symphonie, she toured China performing at the Beijing Poly Theater and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. As a recitalist and chamber musician, she has appeared at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bargemusic, and the Polish Consulate in Chicago.
Ms. Augustyn studied at The Juilliard School with Dorothy DeLay, Cho-Liang Lin, and Naoko Tanaka, where she earned Bachelors and Masters degrees. She also holds a doctorate from Stony Brook University, where she worked with Philip Setzer and Pamela Frank. Her discography includes Paganini 24 Caprices, Op. 1 (RovenRecords), Polish Violin Music (Naxos), Runaway Bunny Concerto with Catherine Zeta- Jones as narrator (GPR Records) and the Violin Concerti of Mendelssohn and Bruch performed with Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra and Jakub Klecker (Centaur Records).
She plays on a 1734 violin made by Antonio Zanotti, generously on loan to her from a private collector.
Hailed by reviewers as “a pianist of enviable power,” “an artist of clear and vivid vision,” award winning pianist Kalina Mrmevska made her debut at the age of 9, winning first prizes in Macedonian and Yugoslav competitions. At 12, she performed with the Macedonian Philharmonic. At 18, she represented Macedonia at the European Broadcasting Union’s Eurovision Contest for young musicians, performing in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. She took first prize at the International Piano Competition for Young Talents “Rovere d’Oro” in San Bartolomeo, Italy, and second prize at the International Piano Competition in Macugnaga, Italy. Ms. Mrmevska has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestra soloist in Macedonia, Bulgaria, Poland, Serbia, Italy, France, Turkey, Germany, Spain, and the US.
Her recent engagements include a European tour of the piano-cello duo Art Vanguard which she co-founded and which uniquely combines 20th and 21st century music with traditional Balkan, Eastern and Central European music. Deeply committed to promoting Macedonian music, Ms. Mrmevska has given US and world premieres of Macedonian composers. Her next CD will feature further examples of this genre.
Ms. Mrmevska holds degrees from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg, and is completing a doctorate at Stony Brook University in New York, where she worked with Gilbert Kalish and received the prestigious Staller Scholar Award.