Directors

The unique artistry of Dr. Ivona Kaminska results from a rare blend of passion and intellect, scholarly research and sublime inspiration. With an inexorable thirst for knowledge, she studied internationally, coming into contact with a wide array of influences representing the various world-wide schools of pianism and musicology. A native of Warsaw, Poland, Ivona Kaminska holds such prestigious degrees in piano performance as a Master of Arts degree and Postgraduate Artists’ diploma from the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, a Master of Music degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as well as a Doctorate degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She has also participated in international festivals including the Mozarteum Sommerakademie in Austria and Duszniki-Zdroj International Festival in Poland, among others. Winner of several solo concerto competitions in Poland and USA, and a prize winner of the Competition of Contemporary Music in Warsaw, she has appeared as soloist in Europe, USA and Canada, gaining acclaim for her tempestuous performances. Continue reading →

Dr. Christopher Bowlby began his studies on the piano at the age of eight. He has received recognition as a soloist and chamber musician, having been awarded degrees in piano performance from the University of Nebraska, University of British Columbia, and the University of Washington. As a winner of several young artists’ competitions and concerto competitions, he has been featured several times on Public Radio both as a speaker as well as a performer and soloed with orchestras. His extensive repertoire shows his expertise both in the monumental romantic masterworks such as Brahms’ “Handel Variations” and Schumann’s “Symphonic Etudes” as well as new works by living composers, including John Corigliano, Jeff Junkinsmith, Laura Kaminsky, David Mitchell, and Owen Bloomfield. Equally at home with chamber music literature, Mr. Bowlby performed Beethoven’s Sonata in A major with cellist, Yo-Yo Ma and frequently performs four-hand and duo piano music with his wife, Ivona Kaminska. Throughout his international studies, he has worked with such eminent artists as Boris Berman, Mark Clinton, Marek Jablonski, Henri-Paul Sicsic, Eugene Skovorodnikov, Stéphane Lemelin, Patricia Michaelian, and Craig Sheppard. Continue reading →