"Columbia University professor by day, musical sorceress by night"! - ConcertoNet

Meet Magdalena Baczewska, a Polish virtuoso pianist, Director of the joint Columbia-Juilliard Music Performance Program, and judge of the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition! Born in Katowice, Poland, Magdalena grew up with a deep passion for piano performance from a young age.

Join Amos Vang as he and Magdalena discuss a plethora oftopics, such Magdalena's career, the importance of musicality, the profound effect of Fryderyk Chopin's music on the world, and the importance of the Canadian Chopin Competition and the International Chopin Competition.

You can follow Magdalena on Instagram: @maguchannyc

Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Other music composed by: Amos Vang and Fryderyk Chopin

-- CHAPTERS --

0:00 – Introduction

3:01 – Reminiscing on the Canadian Chopin Competition

3:47 – What inspired Magdalena Baczewska to learn piano?

8:23 – A pianist can deeply learn music just by listening toit.

10:15 – What were Magdalena Baczewska’s musical influences?

11:30 – Most Canadians and Americans do NOT focus on thedevelopment of classical music appreciation at a young age.

14:11 – To ethnic Chinese people such as Amos Vang, piano istheir pastime!

16:47 – 40 million Chinese children learn piano on any givenday.

18:21 – Skip 1 day of practice = you notice it.

18:37 – Music enforces structure, order, and discipline.

19:02 – In Ontario, music education is in crisis. Here’s why.

20:21 – In the U.S., funding for libraries, culture, and thearts are usually the first things that gets cut.

21:51 – People were fascinated by the talent and skill shownat the 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition!

24:06 – Sports and music competitions have A LOT incommon. This is how Amos Vang connectsthese two worlds together.

25:21 – The Canadian Chopin Competition sounded like theOlympics, according to Magdalena Baczewska!

26:47 – As both a pianist and a sports announcer, Amos Vangsees direct parallels between sports and music.

30:27 – How has Magdalena Baczewska’s musical style evolved?

35:11 – Bel canto singing in piano performance

35:55 – Yunchan Lim is one of the fewpianists in history by performing all of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes in one sitting!

37:19 – Wilde Jagd = the Wild Chase.

39:01 – Ivo Pogorelic vs. Yunchan Lim in their performancesof the Wilde Jagd. Pogorelic is SCARY!!!!!

40:37 – Chopin’s Polonaise in A Flat Major Op. 61 has A RICHMUSICALITY BASE.

44:52 – What are Magdalena Baczewska’s tasks as the Directorof the Columbia-Juilliard Music Performance Program?

49:59 – Non-musical perspectives can greatly influence amusician’s musicality

53:09 – Justice Rosalie Abella was a classical pianist. You can see her pianism in her judgmentwriting.

55:03 – What is musicality to Magdalena Baczewska?

58:24 – Music is not just playing random notes, just as howin hockey, a team does not just randomly shoot on goal.

1:02:05 – Why is Fryderyk Chopin’s music so profound topeople around the world?

1:05:10 – Who is Fryderyk Chopin to Magdalena Baczewska?

1:10:57 – Musicians have the ability to express, understand,and appreciate the emotional spectrum because of their musical training.

1:12:42 – Can Chopin’s music be an effective copingmechanism for the world’s loneliness epidemic?

1:14:18 – Chopin’s music can evoke strong emotionalresponses in audiences, musicians or otherwise!

1:18:49 – Music = expression of humanity.

1:23:15 – Many people have NOT had the opportunity toexplore the emotional spectrum to the extent that classical music explores it.

1:25:07 – Chopin has mastered the composition of thepolonaise!

1:25:53 – “Pan Tadeusz” features a modern polonaise!

1:26:50 – Poland was wiped off the map until 1918. This was why Chopin was so passionate about his Polish side.

1:28:44 – What are the most important lessons and rewardingthings that Magdalena Baczewska has learned and experienced in her career?