For the final episode of 2022, we interviewed Dr. Magdalena Stern-Baczewska on a Saturday afternoon and had a great time chatting with her about 🎹 and harpsichord!
Ms. Baczewska is both a concert pianist and a harpsichordist. Have you watched her double performances of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations–first by performing on the harpsichord, then on the piano in one concert back to back 🤯? If not, we urge you to watch it here: https://youtu.be/oLAQPrOGqJo!
During the interview session, we talked about Magdalena’s multifaceted career as a concert pianist/harpsichordist, her collaborations with prominent composers: from an award-winning composer, Tan Dun, to a multi-genre composer/rapper, Gene Pritsker, her recordings including “Music for Dreams” collaborated with a medical team specialized in the research and treatment of sleep disorders, her vision for music education, and more!
[Magdalena Stern-Baczewska — Innovative Keyboardist, Yamaha Artist, & Educator]
🌐https://www.magdalenanyc.com/
Hailed by the press as “One of the most innovative, even radical classical keyboardists in the U.S.,” Ms. Baczewska enjoys a multifaceted career as a concert pianist/harpsichordist, educator, and speaker. Having made her solo debut at age 12 in her native country, Poland, she performed internationally with the world’s leading orchestras, such as Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and China National Symphony, among many others.
She has toured Europe and the U.S. with double performances of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations–first by performing on the harpsichord, then on the piano in one concert, which had not been done since Rosalyn Tureck’s Carnegie Hall performance in 1977.
Ms. Baczewska is also a recording artist. Her recordings include pieces by traditional composers such as Bach, Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy, as well as contemporary composers such as the Oscar and Grammy Award-winner Tan Dun and more. In addition, she recorded an album called, Hip-Hopsichord, with an NYC-based composer and rapper, Gene Pritsker. This inventive album combines the virtuosity of harpsichord playing with electronic hip-hop/techno/r&b rhythms.
Ms. Baczewska is a professor of music and Director of the Music Performance Program at Columbia University, and she has given master classes and lectures around the world. In addition to sharing the timeless beauty of the music through her performance and recordings, her musical mission is to educate her audiences in each performance by giving them tools to enjoy music more profoundly.
🎧As always, the audio version of this episode is available simultaneously wherever you get your podcast: https://linktr.ee/TPP2.0.
[The Piano Pod 🎙- Bringing PIANO into the 21st Century] podcast show about 🎹 for ALL pianists
Hey, 🎹 lovers out there! We are The Piano Pod, a bi-monthly podcast🎙 show hosted by Yukimi Song and Clara Zhang–classical pianists & educators from NYC. Our podcast show is for anyone who plays the piano for fun, loves listening to piano music, is currently pursuing a career in piano, or works professionally in the music industry.
Twice a month, we interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the music industry. Started during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to adjust to the new musical reality, the goals of The Piano Pod are to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era.
