New international album by Beata Szałwińska - “Aconcagua Project - Astor Piazzolla”
Beata Szałwińska - an internationally renowned pianist, graduate of the Academy of Music in Warsaw, a French government scholarship holder who studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot in Paris. She currently lives and creates as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue at the conservatory in Luxembourg (she collaborated for many years with Prof. Ryszard Karczykowski). Founder of the “Aconcagua Quintet”, which operates at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg. In early 2012, she released her second album with the world premiere of a new version of Astor Piazzolla's “Aconcagua Concerto”. The project was created in collaboration with Aconcagua Project and the new concert hall Kinneksbond in Mamer (Luxembourg) and inaugurated its activities, also becoming its showcase. The group's first album was recognized as the album of the month in Classicmania in Luxembourg. The international premiere of the album was recognized by music critics worldwide as one of the greatest and most important musical tributes to Astor Piazzolla.
- My big dream was to play Astor Piazzolla's “Aconcagua concerto”. The piece was specially arranged for me for solo piano and sextet. (Originally, this concerto is written for bandoneon and orchestra). When I first heard this concerto, I felt and had an inner conviction that it could sound wonderful on the piano as well. Recording this piece is also a great opportunity to present to a wider audience the unique style of the composer, who in an extraordinary way combined different musical styles: folklore, jazz, popular music, and classical music.
Astor Piazzolla studied in Paris under the guidance of the outstanding pedagogue Nadia Boulanger, thanks to whom he understood that he should draw inspiration from folklore and popular music, which he knew so well, enriching it with everything he had learned. And that's how Piazzolla's new musical style, often called Tango Nuevo, was born.
- What I love so much about this music is its incredible emotional depth, as if combining Slavic melancholy with the temperament of the south. It gives me unlimited possibilities of artistic, rhythmic, and articulatory expression. A wonderful never-ending musical adventure. The Aconcagua concerto has a classical 3-part form: 1 - Allegro marcato, 2 - Moderato, 3 - Presto. The structure and instrumentation of the piece testify to Piazzolla's fascination with classical music. He always dreamed of becoming a composer like Bela Bartok or Igor Stravinsky.
On the “Aconcagua Project Astor Piazzolla” album, there are also duets that the artist performs together with Argentine bandoneonist Gilberto Pereyra. In these pieces, elements of folklore and popular music, which Astor Piazzolla developed in such a remarkably original way, are certainly much easier to discern. Today, his music is performed in the largest concert halls, philharmonics, and churches, which is a testament to the recognition of his great style and artistry.
The album is already available in Poland, premiering digitally in the most important and popular online stores such as iTunes, Amazon.com, Deezer, Ovi, Simfy.com, Virgin. The pianist also plans a series of concerts this autumn in the largest cities in Poland, including Warsaw. This event will be preceded by the release of the internationally acclaimed CD album “Aconcagua Project Astor Piazzolla”, which will mark another peak in her career, and will introduce the work that the author himself wrote about to Polish listeners: “I dream to impose my music and the music of my country on the whole world” - Astor Piazzolla
Beata Szałwińska - an internationally renowned pianist, graduate of the Academy of Music in Warsaw. A French government scholarship holder who studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot in Paris. In her final year of studies, she won a competition for the best performance of a piano concerto, with the prize being a debut at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, where she performed Karol Szymanowski's IV Symphony. Laureate and finalist of many prestigious classical music competitions, including the first prize at the 11th Tournoi International de Musique in Belgium. The artist performs throughout Europe, participating in festivals and premier concerts. She has also made many recordings for radio and television. She has participated in dozens of international piano events and major concerts, such as the De Klenge Maarnicher Festival (with the Tubingen Kammerorchestra under the direction of Gudni Emilson), or a concert on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the orchestra in Ettelbruck in Luxembourg, where in the presence of the Prince and Princess of Luxembourg, she performed George Gershwin's “Blue Rhapsody”. Beata Szałwińska continues her concert activities as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue (she collaborated for many years with Prof. Ryszard Karczykowski and the conservatory in Luxembourg). She is the founder of the “Aconcagua Quintet”, which operates at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg. The group's first album was recognized as the album of the month in Classicmania in Luxembourg. The quintet also presented itself to the Polish audience at concerts at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw and in the concert hall of the Palace in Radziejowice.
PWM Piazzolla Astor - El Viaje. 15 tang i innych utworw na fortepian
PWM Piazzolla Astor - Vuelvo al sur. 10 tang i innych utworw na akordeon
PWM Piazzolla Astor - Vuelvo al sur. 10 tang i innych utworw na fortepian
AN Kossowska Beata, Templin Grzegorz ″Ksiniczka, pirat i harmonijka ustna″ ksika
