Polish Violin Music. Kinga Augustyn & Matthieu Cognet in Chicago

The International Music Foundation and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts join with the Polish Cultural Institute New York to present Polish Violin Music, featuring Polish-born and New York City-based violinist Kinga Augustyn and pianist Matthieu Cognet. The all-Polish program includes Aleksander Zarzycki's Mazurka in G Major, Op. 26 and Introduction et Cracovienne, Op. 35, Fryderyk Chopin's Nocturne in C-Sharp minor (arr. Antoni Cofalik), Karol Szymanowski's La Fontaine d'Aréthuse and Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki's Variazioni, Op. 4. The concert will be broadcast live on WFMT 98.7 FM at 12:15pm CST on Wednesday, February 5 and streamed live at www.wfmt.com

Award-winning violinist Kinga Augustyn has been described as "stylish and vibrant" (Strad Magazine), and "beyond amazing" (Fanfare Magazine). She has made many guest appearances, including performances with the Magdeburg Philharmonic and the Wroclaw Philharmonic. In addition to her many orchestra appearances, she maintains a busy concert schedule as a recitalist and chamber musician with appearances at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Merkin Hall, and Bargemusic. She is committed to increasing awareness of music by Polish composers, as well as promoting contemporary music. Her discography includes the album The Runaway Bunny, narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones (GPR Records), Kenneth Fuch's Falling Trio (Naxos), multiple works composed specially for her by Juilliard Faculty member Michael White (Albany), and a recently released album of Polish Violin Music (Naxos).

French pianist Matthieu Cognet undertook his piano studies in 2002 at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris, while finishing his Master of Musicology at the Sorbonne. In 2007, he graduated with High Distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, then moved to Bloomington, Indiana to pursue a Performer Diploma at Indiana University. He had the privilege to work with Janos Starker as a studio accompanist at IU, as well as Joshua Bell and Andre Watts. He is a winner of the Concours Musical de France, and was a semifinalist in the Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition in Westport, Connecticut in 2009, as well as in the Pozzoli International Piano Competition in Seregno, Italy in 2011. Matthieu Cognet is highly interested in the two-piano repertoire, which he performs regularly with Macha Kanza throughout Europe and the United States. He recently performed at Steinway Hall and Carnegie Hall (Weill Hall) in New York.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 12:15 PM
Preston Bradley Hall at Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St, Chicago, IL

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