"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

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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?

At 19 years old, she won the CBC National Radio Competition.

She has performed at the world’s most renowned concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Bolshoi.

She is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

She is a 3-time Juno Award nominee.

She is a jury member of the Canadian Chopin Competition and the Junior Van Cliburn International Competition (for context, if the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw is Wimbledon/the Olympics, then the Van Cliburn is the U.S. Open).

She is a crucial checkpoint on the Road to Warsaw.

Join Amos Vang as he features the virtuosic career of pianist Jane Coop, CM OBC. In this episode, Jane and Amos discuss the sheer amount of practice and skill required to even compete at the national and international levels of classical piano performance (6 to 9 hours a day, for pianists as young as 9 years old!), the beauty of Fryderyk Chopin’s music, andthe difficult job that Jane has as a judge of the world’s top piano competitions. Jane and Amos also discusstheir own respective connections to piano performance, the importance of meditating on musical repertoire, and musicality itself.

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

3:08 – Reminiscing on the Sixth Canadian Chopin Competition

3:42 – What inspired Jane Coop to pursue piano?

5:24 – What were Jane Coop’s early music influences?

9:25 – At 19, Jane Coop won 1st prize at the CBCNational Radio Competition. What was itlike for her to win that prize?

11:00 – What is it like to perform at Carnegie Hall, WigmoreHall, and the Bolshoi?

12:15 – Most classical music listeners do NOT focus on thecelebrity. Rather, they focus on the performance’s quality itself.

16:20 – More Canadians and Americans are appreciatingclassical music, especially Chopin!

17:47 – How does Jane Coop judge the Cliburn, the Honens,and the Canadian Chopin Competition?

20:25 – Young Chinese pianists practice A LOT – 6 hours aday! Even then, it’s NOT ENOUGH!

23:36 – Choosing the top 3 of the Canadian ChopinCompetition was extremely difficult!

24:22 – The final round of the 2025 International ChopinCompetition has a new requirement: play the Polonaise-Fantasie in A flat Major Op. 61 along a Chopin concerto!

24:46 – Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasie in A flat Major says a lot more musically than his concerti!

28:16 – What is musicality?

30:41 – Modern grand pianos (especially modern concert grandpianos) are VERY different from Chopin’s Pleyel pianos.

32:41 – Who is Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin to Jane Coop?

36:08 – The Chopin Competition = Wimbledon, and the VanCliburn = U.S. Open!

37:55 – The jury of the International Chopin Competition hasan EXTREMELY DIFFICULT JOB!

39:00 – Jane Coop owns a Hamburg Steinway piano. What is the difference between a New York Steinway and a Hamburg Steinway?

40:20 – At the 2021 International Chopin Competition, eachcompetitor only had 15 minutes to try out all 5 pianos.

42:37 – In what ways has Chopin surprised Jane Coop?

45:37 – Will it ever be possible to have a true Urtext forChopin?

49:15 – How does Jane Coop practice piano?

52:08 – The finest instrument is the mind!

54:48 – How does Jane Coop balance her musical philosophyand Chopin’s musical philosophy in her performances?

58:53 – How has Jane Coop’s music style evolved over herentire performing career?

1:00:46 – In musical performance, show, don’t tell!

1:01:43 – How does Jane Coop cooperate with different musicensembles in performance?

1:07:14 – How to watch or listen to the International ChopinCompetition?

1:11:57 – Canada has a misconception of classical music asan elitist genre.

1:21:52 – What are the most rewarding aspects of Jane Coop’scareer? What are the most importantlessons that Jane Coop has learned?

At 11 years old, she performed her first major performancewith an orchestra.

At 12 years old, she won her first international competition.

At 22 years old, she won 2nd prize at the Canadian Chopin Competition.

And later this year in 2025, Athena Deng will be competing for the greatest piano prize of all at the International Chopin Competition.

Join Amos Vang on the first miniseries episode of “The Road to Warsaw” as he features the legend of Athena Deng. Amos and Athena discuss in great detail Athena’s career, achievements and experiences (including those at the 2025Canadian Chopin Competition), as well as the intricacies of musicality and excellent piano performance. Amos andAthena also discuss the legacy of Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin and the impact of Chopin’s music on the world, along with the importance of the International Chopin Competition.

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0:00 – Introduction

3:03 – What inspired Athena Deng to pursue piano?

4:10 – Piano is the hockey equivalent for ethnic Chinesepeople like Amos Vang and Athena Deng

5:48 – What were the early influences on Athena Deng’s styleof playing piano?

7:15 – Athena Deng is a major fan of the great MarthaArgerich!

8:07 – What were Athena Deng’s favorite memories with herearly years as a young pianist?

9:18 – Athena Deng explains the ideal hand position forplaying piano.

10:44 – What were the greatest challenges that Athena Dengfaced early on?

14:35 – Similar to sports such as hockey, rewatching one’sown piano performances is highly important for pianists to fix their flaws.

17:07 – At 11 years old, Athena Deng made her majororchestral performing debut. What was itlike for her?

21:17 – Martha Argerich’s performance of Prokofiev’s PianoConcerto No. 3 influenced Athena Deng’s performance.

23:29 – What were the most important lessons that AthenaDeng learned from her orchestral debut?

27:00 – At 12 years old, Athena Deng won her firstinternational competition. How does sheprepare for these competitions?

33:31 – How do pianists such as Athena Deng and Amos Vangadapt to different pianos?

37:48 – What does Athena Deng look for in a piano?

39:35 – What is it like to study with Dang Thai Son?

41:29 – Dang Thai Son

42:53 – Athena Deng’s performance of Chopin’s “FuneralMarch”

46:11 – What sparked Athena Deng to embark on the Road toWarsaw?

48:11 – What was Athena Deng’s mindset going into theCanadian Chopin Competition?

50:17 – What was Athena Deng’s feelings during each round ofthe Canadian Chopin Competition?

53:20 – Athena Deng describes the experience of winning 2ndprize at the Canadian Chopin Competition

54:13 – What is Athena Deng’s mindset going into theInternational Chopin Competition?

57:00 – Considering Chopin’s letters in musical performance

59:35 - Krzysztof Jablonski

1:00:26 – Understanding Chopin’s intentions is veryimportant yet difficult.

1:01:45 – Paderewski edition vs. Ekier edition/PolishNational Edition. Which one is the most accurate and faithful to Chopin?

1:02:50 – Who is Chopin to Athena Deng?

1:06:32 – What is musicality to Athena Deng?

1:07:31 – Why is Chopin’s music so profound and impactful topeople?

1:10:29 – Practice is important!

1:14:56 – How to do bel canto singing while playing Chopin’smusic?

1:23:12 – Athena Deng played on period instruments! How did they sound, and how are they different from modern pianos?

1:24:57 – People’s sense of hearing has diminished in the 21stcentury.

1:32:55 – How does Athena Deng develop her musical style?

1:35:15 – Piano performance is like method acting. Amos Vanguses the example of Martin Scorsese.

1:38:35 – What are the worst misconceptions about classicalmusic? How can we get more people torelate with classical music?

1:49:10 – What are the most rewarding aspects of AthenaDeng’s career?

1:50:58 – What advice would Athena Deng give to those whowant to pursue a career in classical music, especially piano?

1:52:28 – Outro