Get to Know Me...
Magdalena, a native of Poland, is a pianist, educator, piano pedagogue and chamber music performer. She didn't grow up in the family of musicians but she definitely inherited the love for music from her grandfather. Practice never came easy for her and it was not until age of 19 when Magdalena realized that being a performing pianist could be her profession.
As a graduate from F.Nowowiejski Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, Poland, as well as Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the prestigious Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, Magdalena holds her Bachelor of Music Diploma in Piano Performance, Master of Arts Diploma in Piano Performance, as well as Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Piano Performance that was awarded to her with the second highest mark in the history of the school. Her hard work and all-related success wouldn't pay
off without her always-committed piano professors: Prof. Maria Murawska, Margaret Fingerhut, Prof.Malcolm Wilson, Victor Sangiorgio, Attila Nemethy and Farkas Gabor. During her studies Magdalena had invaluable opportunities to participate in master classes with renowned pianists, such as, Bruce Brubaker, Martin Canin, Laszlo Baranyay, John Lill, Peter Donohoe, Michael Kazakevitch, Andrew Ball, Martin Jones, Orit Wolf, Ashley Wass and Graham Caskie.
Magdalena has been recognized as a soloist and a collaborator in the countries of Poland, United Kingdom, Hungary, United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. Upon many awards she received are: a joint-winner of Birmingham Piano Prize, a special Prize (runner-up) at the Ambach Prize for the Performance of Music by Women Composers, John Campbell Prize for a Keyboard Player (2008), Marjorie Hazelhurst Piano Award (2009) and the PGCert (Music) Course Prize (2010) for over-all excellence. Also in 2010 she was awarded the Third Prize in XIV International Competition of Contemporary Chamber Music in Krakow, Poland; and in 2011 she won the inaugural Peter Donohoe Prize. Towards the end of her years at Birmingham, she won both the Renna Kellaway Piano Recital Prize and the prestigious Town Hall/Symphony Hall Prize, which allowed her to share a recital with the famous Capocon brother. To her most prestigious awards Magdalena can add the winner of the Park Lane Group which led to her appearance as a solo pianist at the South Bank Center in London where she had an opportunity to also work with Magnus Lindberg and perform his pieces.
Since August 2014, Magdalena has made her home in Dubai, UAE, where for almost 6 years was committed as a piano professor to the Center for Musical Arts. From July 2020 she has established a successful private piano tuition. As a pedagogue, she becomes invested and passionate about her students' future successes. With her guidance and vast years of experience, she not only teaches how to play piano, but also how to better express emotions through the instrument. She has been very proud of being able to successfully implement interest in music in her students' lives. She has worked teaching essential music skills, with numerous young children and adults. Among her accomplishments, she takes most pride in the influential role she has had as a piano teacher. It is highly rewarding to see outstanding talents of students who professionally display their skills and are highly appreciated by various audiences.
Her most successful performing engagements include chamber music performances as part of the Chamber Music Concerts at the New York University in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Her musical mentor has been Maestro Rony Rogoff. She plays a vast repertoire, and has maintained a keen interest in contemporary music; between 2011 and 2014 Magdalena had a close relationship with the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine, USA, where she took part as a Contemporary Ensemble Piano Fellow. Her responsibility was to rehearse and record newly composed works by student composers. Apart from that, Magdalena is also a fervent supporter of Polish Folk Music and is involved in many charity concerts.
Magdalena has also been a part of a piano duo with Aldo Dotto. They have been performing a vast repertoire for 2 pianos and one piano 4 hands across UAE with exciting plans to start a European tournee.
As a teacher and educator, Magdalena has been deeply interested in the aspect of brain development. She believes in an informed teaching approach in order to accommodate all kinds of learners. She has been very motivated and patient. Her focus is to develop a thinking student regardless of the area she teaches. Learning a musical instrument is incredibly beneficial to the brain and she keeps researching these aspects that involve new discoveries in the area of brain development and neuroscience as well as music therapy. Teaching and researching has definitely been her biggest interest in the current years. Magdalena is incredibly busy as a teacher but always tries to accommodate new students.
