In her extensive May 8 interview for the Nowy Dziennik, a Polish language newspaper in New York, violinist Kinga Augustyn shared her insights on studying violin, performing, repertoire choices and her latest professional accomplishments.
Kinga’s latest recording—a solo album of compositions by Georg Philipp Teleman on the Centaur label—was officially launched on May 5. Her interest in music by the Baroque era composers began already in Kinga’s youth in Poland, when she first performed Antonio Vivaldi’s The Seasons.
Interested in solo violin repertoire, Kinga is currently planning a series of concerts with compositions by Bach, Paganini, Wieniawski, Drożdżewski, Penderecki and Ysaye. This is quite a challenge for any violinist but as Kinga said in her interview, “I don’t want to seek an easy path. That’s my nature and I’m not likely to change.”
Asked about her contacts with Poland, Kinga mentioned that, “Last December, just before Christmas, I recorded another disc with lesser-known but very interesting music by Romuald Twardowski with conductor Mariusz Smolij and Toruń Symphony Orchestra. I’ll provide more detail about this recording when it comes out on the market in about half a year.”
Inspired by the legendary violin virtuoso Jasha Heifetz and great operatic star Maria Callas, Augustyn is dedicating her most of her efforts to expanding her repertoire and perfecting her technique. Asked what advice she is giving to her students, Augustyn tersely replied, “I tell them what I was told at Juilliard: one doesn’t make a real and significant career by taking shortcuts.”
Read the full article in Polish here: www.dziennik.com/publicystyka/artykul/wartosciowej-kariery-nie-robi-sie-na-skroty.
[Sources: press release, dziennik.com]