From the Gabrielis to di Castri: Magdalena Baczewska, Harpsichord and Piano

ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE

Magdalena Baczewska—“Columbia University professor by day, musical sorceress by night” (ConcertoNet)—returns to the Italian Academy with a program that stretches from the 1500s to the 2020s, featuring works by Domenico Scarlatti, by Andrea Gabrieli and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli—and many others.

PROGRAM

Canzona sopra “Il est bel et bon”
Girolamo Cavazzoni (1510–1580)
Canzone Ariosa (Il 3° libro de ricercari)
Andrea Gabrieli (1520–1586)
Fuga del nono tono
Giovanni Gabrieli (1554/1557–1612)
Toccata 2 (Il 2° libro)
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643)
Toccata No. 7
Michelangelo Rossi (c.1600–c.1660)
Sonata in C major, K. 132
Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757)
The Untellable Hour of Quiet (2023)
Zosha di Castri (b. 1985)
Sonata no. 5 in C
Baldassare Galuppi (1706 – 1785)
Dreamcatcher (2018)
Marcos Balter (b. 1974)
Notturno (1904)
Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936)
Aghavni [Doves] (2009)
Mary Kouyoumdjian (b. 1983)
Années de pèlerinage I. Sposalizio II, S.161: “Deuxième année: Italie”
Franz Liszt (1811–1886)

ABOUT THE PERFORMER

Magdalena Stern-Baczewska [pronounced ba-CHEV-ska] is a concert pianist, harpsichordist, recording artist, producer, and educator. She is Director of the Music Performance Program and Senior Lecturer in Music at Columbia University. She has appeared as a soloist with prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and China National Symphony. She has collaborated with Oscar and Grammy Award-winning artists like Joshua Bell, Charles Fox, and Tan Dun, performing at the Tanglewood Music Festival, Guangzhou Opera House, Beijing National Center for Performing Arts, Davies Symphony Hall, and Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center.
Baczewska’s repertoire spans centuries, including works for the harpsichord—she has earned acclaim for her double-bill performances of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, on the harpsichord and the piano—and music by women and underrepresented composers. Her encompasses various genres, from Baroque and Romantic solo music to collaborations with techno and hip-hop artists. Baczewska has produced the bestselling series of albums, “Music for Dreams,” in collaboration with the Bluesleep medical team that researches and treats sleep disorders.
Baczewska has given talks and master classes around the world: Beijing Central Conservatory, New York University, International Keyboard Institute, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Manhattan School of Music. As a Yamaha Artist, she is among the pioneers of long-distance teaching using the cutting-edge Yamaha Disklavier technology. At Columbia, Baczewska embraces her dual role of educator and academic leader: aside from teaching, she mentors the members of the Music Performance Program and the elite Columbia-Juilliard Exchange.
As an advocate of equal access to musical enrichment, Baczewska is committed to outreach, bringing music to wider audiences. During the pandemic, she produced “Bach@Home,” a YouTube series of public-facing lecture performances. She also designed and taught “Enjoyment of Music,” an online music appreciation sequence for the Grand Piano Series where she is now the Lecturer in Residence. Baczewska is a teaching artist on Tonebase, a digital platform democratizing access to high-level music education. She also regularly appears as guest lecturer in various concert series. She serves as a Grandmentor for Musical Mentors Collaborative—a nonprofit that provides free music instruction to students who would not otherwise have access to private lessons.
Born in Poland, she is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage for promoting Polish culture abroad.

Seating is limited and first come, first served. Priority will be given to those who register in advance. Check-in begins 30 minutes before the event and early arrival is suggested.

This event is in-person only.

Photo courtesy of the performer

Host or Publisher The Italian Academy of Columbia University