Magdalena Filipczak: Essence of Violin
Saint-Saën (arr: Eugene Ysaÿe): Caprice d’après l’Etude en forme de valse, Op 52/6; Elgar: Chanson de Matin, Op 15/2; Salut d’Amour, Op 12; Piazzolla: Bordel 1900 from History of the Tango; Café 1930 from History of the Tango; Wieniawski: Fantaisie Brillante sur ‘Faust’ de Charles Gounod, Op 20; Britten: Reveille: Concert Study for Violin and Piano; Lullaby from Suite, Op.6; Waltz from Suite, Op.6; Szymanowski (arr. Paul Kochański): Danse Paysanne from Harnasie; Lutosławski: Subito
Magdalena Filipczak – violin, Agnieszka Kozło – piano, Martin Fogel – guitar
Audio-B Records ABCD 5031
Magdalena Filipczak is regarded by critics and eminent musicians as one of the most outstanding young Polish violinists of her generation. Now resident in London, she makes her debut solo recording on the Audio-B label with a compelling recital focusing mostly on English and Polish composers.
‘Essence of Violin’ features Magdalena Filipczak, with Polish pianist Agnieszka Kozło and Swedish guitarist Martin Fogel, performing a highly attractive and well-balanced programme of music by Britten, Elgar, Lutosławski, Piazzolla, Saint-Saëns (arranged by Ysaÿe), Szymanowski and Wieniawski. Her playing is superb throughout and the recording will no doubt introduce her to many new admirers.
English music is represented by two of Elgar’s lighter pieces, Chanson de Matin and Salut d’amour, and two movements from Britten’s Suite, Op 6 as well as his concert study for violin and piano, Reveille. Filipczak’s Polish compatriots feature on three tracks: Wieniawski’s Fantasie Brillante on Gounod’s ‘Faust’, an arrangement of the Danse Paysanne from Szymanowski’s ballet Harnasie, and Subito by Lutosławski. And there are forays to France for Saint-Saëns’s Caprice d’après l’Etude en forme de valse, and to Argentina for two pieces from Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango (for which she is accompanied by guitarist Martin Fogel).
In recent seasons Filipczak has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at top concert venues in the UK, South America, Canada and the USA, and toured Brazil and Argentina as guest leader with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. She has played at music festivals such as the BBC Proms, the City of London Festival, Edinburgh Festival, the Swaledale and Ryedale Festivals in the north of England, America’s Norfolk Festival, Sweden’s Lidköping Festival, the Paxos Chamber Music Festival in Greece, and Estonia’s Tallinn Chamber Music Festival. She has recorded for BBC Radio 3, Canadian Radio, Polish, Austrian and Estonian Television and Radio.
Among her many competition successes, Magdalena Filipczak was the winner of the 2008 IV Heino Eller International Violin Competition in Estonia where she was also awarded special prizes for the best interpretation of Bach and the best concerto performance in the final (playing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto).
Born in Poland, Magdalena Filipczak began violin lessons at the age of five. In 2004 she came to London to study with Krzysztof Śmietana at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on a full scholarship. In addition to her violin playing, she studied classical singing with John Evans at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Magdalena Filipczak is a great musician and a great violinist. She possesses superb instrumental command. The rare combination of complete mastery of the instrument, thorough understanding of music, together with deep sensitivity and wonderful concentration enables her to spellbind and touch audiences. – Henk Guittart, International Tutor in Strings Performance, Royal Northern College of Music
…I was consistently impressed by the musical maturity she brought to every phrase, the superb instrumental command and the wide range of color and nuance…She collaborates with deep sensitivity and has a wonderful concentration that draws the listener in. – Clive Greensmith, Tokyo String Quartet
[Sources: polishculture.org.uk, magdalenafilipczak.com]