Kinga Augustyn is a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based virtuoso violinist. She has established an international career having performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, recitalist, and recording artist.

Early life and education

Augustyn was born in

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

into a family of professional musicians. Her father, Roman Augustyn, was a bassoonist with the

Wrocław Opera The Wrocław Opera ( Polish: ''Opera Wrocławska'') is an opera company and opera house in the Old Town of Wrocław, Poland. The opera house was opened in 1841 and up to 1945 was named after the city's then German name, Oper Breslau. History An ...

Orchestra. He died at age 33. Her mother, Mariola Augustyn, is a professional singer (

spinto soprano A spinto soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that has the limpidity and easy high notes of a lyric soprano, yet can be "pushed" on to achieve dramatic climaxes without strain. This type of voice may also possess a somewhat darker timbre tha ...

), music and speech therapist, and actress. Her younger brother, Jakub Augustyn, is a professional jazz guitarist. Augustyn's formal violin training started at the age of seven. She attended Państwowa Podsawowa Szkola Muzyczna (now Ogólnokształcąca Szkoła Muzyczna I Stopnia) im. Karola Szymanowskiego in

, where she studied violin with Aleksandra Bogdan for six years. She then enrolled in Państwowe Liceum Muzyczne (now Ogólnokształcąca Szkoła Muzyczna II Stopnia) im. Karola Szymanowskiego in Wrocław as a student of Zbigniew Szuflat. She graduated a year earlier than expected, having completed her baccalaureate exam. During her last year there, she was also a Jungstudentin at Hochschule für Musik und Theater in

Rostock Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (), is the largest city in the German States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the sta ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, where she studied violin with Petru Munteanu. At the age of 18, Augustyn came to the United States to continue her musical education at

The Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

. She studied with

Dorothy DeLay Dorothy DeLay (March 31, 1917 – March 24, 2002) was an American violin teacher, instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati. Life Dorothy DeLay was born on March 31, 1917, in Medic ...

(teacher to several renowned soloists such as

Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman (; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist. He has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that have included a state dinner for Elizabeth II at the White House in 2007, and at the First ina ...

Gil Shaham Gil Shaham (Hebrew: גיל שחם; born February 19, 1971) is an American violinist. His accolades include a Grammy Award in 1999, and he has performed as a soloist with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna P ...

, and

Midori Goto , who performs under the mononym Midori, is a Japanese-born American violinist. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11 as a surprise guest soloist at the New Year's Eve Gala in 1982. In 1986 her performance at the Tanglewood ...

), Naoko Tanaka and Cho-Liang Lin. After receiving her Bachelors and master's degrees, she received a Doctorate degree (Doctor of Musical Arts) from the

State University of New York, Stony Brook State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

, where she coached violin and chamber music with

Pamela Frank Pamela Frank (born June 20, 1967) is an American violinist, with an active international career across a varied range of performing activity. Her musicianship was recognized in 1999 with the Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given ...

, Philip Setzer (violinist of the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning

Emerson String Quartet The Emerson String Quartet, also known as the Emerson Quartet, was an American string quartet initially formed as a student group at the Juilliard School in 1976. It was named for American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson and began touri ...

), and

Gilbert Kalish Gilbert Kalish (born July 2, 1935) is an American pianist. He was born in New York and studied with Leonard Shure, Julius Hereford and Isabelle Vengerova. He was a founding member of the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, a pioneering new music gr ...

. Upon completion of her education, she settled permanently in the United States to pursue a solo concert career. She has dual citizenship: Polish (hence European Union) and US.

Music career

Augustyn has been a soloist with the Wrocław Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra Leopoldinum, Magdeburg Philharmonic, Riverside Symphonia, Acadiana Symphonie, Glacier Symphony, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Kammerorchestrer Berlin, and Manhattan Symphonie. With the Manhattan Symphonie she toured China, making her Asian debut in 2014 at the Beijing Poly Theater and

Shanghai Oriental Art Center The Shanghai Oriental Art Center (), abbreviated SHOAC, is one of the leading performance and cultural facilities in Shanghai. The five interconnected hemispherical halls or "petals" are shaped to resemble a butterfly orchid from above.SHOAC"Prelu ...

. Augustyn made her

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

(Weill Recital Hall) recital debut in 2008 as a winner of Artist International Presentations, Inc. She has performed solo at Carnegie's Stern Auditorium, as well as at other venues in the USA such as

Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and Philanthropy, philanthropist whose donations assis ...

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

, and the

Chicago Cultural Center The Chicago Cultural Center, opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building operated by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The Cultural Center houses the city's official reception venue, where the Mayor of Chicago, M ...

. She has collaborated in performances of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

Chaconne A chaconne ( , ; ; ; earlier English: chacony) is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for Variation (music), variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line (ground bass ...

with the New York City-based

José Limón José Arcadio Limón (January 12, 1908 – December 2, 1972) was a dancer and choreographer from Mexico and who developed what is now known as 'Limón technique'. In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company (now the Limón Dan ...

Dance Company. She often collaborates with contemporary composers and has premiered and/or made world premiere recordings of works by

Kenneth Fuchs Kenneth Daniel Fuchs (born July 1, 1956) is a Grammy Award-winning American composer. He currently serves as Professor of Music Composition at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. Music Kenneth Fuchs is the first living American ...

, Cynthia Lee Wong, Jakub Ciupiński, Michael White, Piotr Drożdżewski,

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

and Debra Kay Augustyn is a prize winner of music competitions that include first prizes at the Alexander and Buono International String Competition in

in 2009, Artist International Presentations in

in 2007, and Konkurs Bachowski, in

Zielona Góra Zielona Góra (; ''Green Mountain''; ) is the largest city in Lubusz Voivodeship, located in western Poland, with 140,403 inhabitants (). The region is closely associated with vineyards and holds an annual Zielona Góra Wine Fest, Wine Fest. Zie ...

In 1999. She received Fourth Prize and Special Audience Award, the 8th International Brahms Competition in Pörtschach,

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

in 2001; Fourth Prize and Award for Best Interpretation of a Virtuosic Work, Kloster Schöntal International Competition,

in 1999. She was a 2014 recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from the Sorel Organization and a 2015 winner of the "Outstanding Pole Abroad" contest in the United States, in the category "Young Pole" from the Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation. In 2012, Augustyn recorded as part of Trio21 with Robert deMaine (principal cellist with the

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...

), cello, and Jeffrey Biegel, piano,

The Runaway Bunny ''The Runaway Bunny'' is a 1942 picture book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. The plot deals with a small rabbit, who wants to run away. His mother, however, tells him that "if you run away, I will run after you." T ...

, the contemporary children's classic by Emmy award winner,

Glen Roven Glen Paul Roven (July 13, 1957 – July 25, 2018) was an American two-time Emmy winning composer, lyricist, conductor and producer. He composed the music to "The Hillary Speeches" setting two of Mrs. Clinton's speeches to music which streamed opp ...

. Narration of the story was performed by Oscar winner

Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Recognised for her versatility, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Comm ...

. In 2016 Augustyn released on the RovenRecords label, the 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1 by Niccolo Paganini''.'' Written between 1802 and 1817, the 24 Caprices are considered among the most challenging and technically demanding works for the solo violin, and have inspired many prominent composers, including Chopin,

Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

Sarasate Pablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués (; 10 March 1844 – 20 September 1908), commonly known as Pablo de Sarasate, was a Spanish violinist, composer and conductor of the Romantic period. His best known works include ''Zigeunerweisen' ...

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

, and

Sibelius Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

. Augustyn's recording of the 24 Caprices has been praised not only for its technical accomplishment, but also for its superior musical interpretation. Augustyn marked her symphonic recording debut with the release on

Centaur Records Centaur Records is one of the oldest and largest independent classical labels in America. The company is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was founded by Victor Sachse in 1976. Centaur's catalog includes classical, historical, pops, contemp ...

performing violin concertos by Bruch,

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

, and

Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...

with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jakub Klecker. In 2018 her second orchestral recording was released, featuring music by Polish composer

Romuald Twardowski Romuald Twardowski (; 17 June 1930 – 13 January 2024) was a Polish composer, pianist, organist and academic teacher who studied in Vilnius, Warsaw and Paris. In a style described as "developed neoclassicism", he composed operas, ballets, instr ...

recorded with Toruń Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mariusz Smolij. Augustyn also performs baroque violin and has performed in masterclasses held by

William Christie (musician) William Lincoln Christie (born December 19, 1944) is an American-born French conductor and harpsichordist. He is a specialist in baroque and classical repertoire and is the founder of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants. Biography Christie ...

and his baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants, as well as by

Cynthia Roberts ''The Real World: Miami'' is the fifth season of MTV's reality television series ''The Real World'', which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives a ...

. Augustyn has recorded for

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records, which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...

, GPR Records, RovenRecords,

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...

, and

. She plays on a mid-18th century violin made by Giuseppe Gagliano in Naples, generously on loan to her from a private collector. Augustyn was the Artistic Director of the XXI International Chopin & Friends Festival 2019 sponsored by the New York Dance and Arts Innovations (NYDAI), a New York City-based not-for-profit organization with the aim of multi-national creative support and promotion of the performing, visual, and literary arts. She released two albums in 2021: solo album Turning in Time and La Pasion, featuring 6 Solo Violin Tango-Etudes by

Astor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fr ...

Interest in lesser-known works

In addition to collaboration with contemporary composers, Augustyn has performed and recorded works by lesser-known composers, as well as lesser-known works by prominent composers of the past. She is the first person to record all violin and piano works by the 19th century composer,

Aleksander Zarzycki Aleksander Zarzycki (26 February 1834 in Lwów (Lemberg), Austria-Hungary (now Lviv, Ukraine) – 1 November 1895 in Warsaw) was a Polish pianist, composer and conductor. He was an author of piano and violin compositions, mazurkas, polonaises, krak ...

, who was mainly known for his Mazurka in G Major, Op. 26 that was frequently performed by

David Oistrakh David Fyodorovich Oistrakh (; – 24 October 1974) was a Soviet Russian violinist, List of violists, violist, and Conducting, conductor. He was also Professor at the Moscow Conservatory, People's Artist of the USSR (1953), and Laureate of the ...

. Other world premiere recordings include works by Henryk Gorecki, P. Drożdżewski, and Karol Lipinski. In 2018, Augustyn's second orchestral release was a performance of works by the Polish composer,

. The recording was released by Naxos Records and includes Twardowski's Violin Concerto (2006).

Discography

''Michael White Quartet for Piano and Strings (Albany Records 2010)'' * Mirian Conti, Piano; Kinga Augustyn, Violin; Andy Lin, Viola; Andrew Janss, Cello ''Glen Roven: The Runaway Bunny Concerto with Reader (GPR Records 2012)'' *

, Reader; Kinga Augustyn, Violin; Robert deMaine, Cello; Jeffrey Biegel, Piano ''Polish Violin Music (Naxos Records 2013)'' * Works by A. Zarzycki, Z. Noskowski, P. Drożdżewski, H. M. Górecki, W. Lutosławski, K. Lipiński * Kinga Augustyn, Violin; Efi Hackmey, Piano ''Michael White Trio Sonata (iTunes 2013)'' * Kinga Augustyn, Violin; Jecca Barry, Flute; Alexandra Snyder Dunbar, Harpsichord ''Kenneth Fuchs Falling Trio (Naxos Records 2013)'' * Kinga Augustyn, Violin; Robert deMaine, Cello; Jeffrey Biegel, Piano ''The Romantic Violin Live! (iTunes 2015)'' * Works by F. Kreisler, F. Chopin, J. Brahms, B. Bartók, P. de Sarasate, E. Ysaye, C. Saint-Saëns, H. Wieniawski, J. Massenet * Kinga Augustyn, Violin; Evan Solomon, Piano ''Keys to the City (RovenRecords 2016)'' * Track: "55th Street Bop" by

* Kinga Augustyn, Violin;

Kristina Reiko Cooper Kristina Reiko Cooper is an American cellist. Although she first began her career as a classical artist, she has received critical acclaim for her diversity in music genres. Biography Cooper was born in New York City. Her father, Rex Cooper, is ...

, Cello;

, Piano '' Niccolò Paganini 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1 (RovenRecords 2016)'' * Kinga Augustyn, Violin ''Violin Concertos'' ''(Centaur Records 2017)'' *

Max Bruch Max Bruch (6 January 1838 – 2 October 1920) was a German Romantic Music, Romantic composer, violinist, teacher, and conductor who wrote more than 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin ...

: Violin Concerto No. 1 *

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

: Violin Concerto *

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...

: Meditation from Thais * Kinga Augustyn, Violin *

Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra The Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (''Janáčkova filharmonie Ostrava'') is a Czech orchestra based in Ostrava. Named after composer Leoš Janáček, the orchestra performs its concerts at the City of Ostrava Cultural Centre. History The root ...

, Jakub Klecker, conductor ''

Georg Philipp Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. He is one of the most prolific composers in history, at least in terms of surviving works. Telemann was considered by his contemporaries to b ...

: 12 Fantasias for Solo Violin (Centaur Records 2018)'' * Kinga Augustyn, Violin ''

: Violin Concerto / Spanish Fantasia / Serenade / Niggunim / Capriccio in Blue (Naxos Records 2018)'' * Kinga Augustyn, Violin * Torun Symphony Orchestra, Mariusz Smolij, conductor ''Turning in Time (Centaur Records 2021)'' * Works by

Elliott Carter Elliott Cook Carter Jr. (December 11, 1908 – November 5, 2012) was an American modernist composer who was one of the most respected composers of the second half of the 20th century. He combined elements of European modernism and American " ...

Luciano Berio Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental music, experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia (Berio), Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled ''Seque ...

Grażyna Bacewicz Grażyna Bacewicz Biernacka (; 5 February 1909 – 17 January 1969) was a Polish composer and violinist of Lithuanian origin. She is the second Polish female composer to have achieved national and international recognition, the first being Ma ...

Isang Yun Isang Yun, or Yun I-sang (; 17 September 1917 – 3 November 1995), was a Korean-born composer who made his later career in West Germany. Early life and education Yun was born in Sancheong (Sansei), Korea under Japanese rule, Korea in 1917, ...

, and Debra Kaye * Kinga Augustyn, Violin ''La Pasión (Centaur Records 2021)'' *

: Six Tango-Etudes for Solo Violin * Kinga Augustyn, Violin

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Augustyn, Kinga Polish women violinists Polish classical violinists Women classical violinists Juilliard School alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century Polish violinists 21st-century Polish women musicians Centaur Records artists