Echoes of Poland – Violin & Piano Concerto

Concert by pianist Julia Miller and violinist Justyna Zanko

‘Echoes of Poland’ presents a violin and piano concert featuring a collaboration between two distinguished Polish performers: pianist Julia Miller and violinist Justyna Zanko. Julia Miller, based in Malta, is a renowned pianist and chamber musician, while Justyna Zanko, residing in Poland, is a celebrated violin virtuoso and the Board President of the Virtuoso Music Foundation (Fundacja Muzyczna Virtuoso), which organises the VirtuClassic Competition and Festival.

Together, they aim to showcase the beauty and richness of Polish compositions for violin and piano, including works by Szymanowski, Wieniawski, Paderewski, and Chopin.

Programme

Karol Szymanowski-Sonata for violin and piano no.9 in d minor
Karol Szymanowski- Roksana’s Song from the opera ‘King Roger’ (Transcription for violin and piano by Paweł Kochański)
Henryk Wieniawski- ‘Polish Dances” for violin and piano
*Kujawiak op. 3 nr 2
*Chanson Polonaise [Pieśń polska] op. 12 nr 2
Henryk Wieniawski- 2nd movement (Romance) from the Violin Concerto op. 22 in d minor
Henryk Wieniawski- Concert polonaise op.4 no.1 in D Major
Fryderyk Chopin- Nocturne in c sharp minor no. 20 (arranged by Milstein)
Ignacy Paderewski- Melody op.16 for violin and piano
Henryk Wieniawski- Scherzo-Tarantelle op.16

The concert, which is supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Valletta, will take place at the Concert Hall of the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta on 4 July at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available from www.showshappening.com/julia-miller/Echoes-of-Poland

Justyna Zanko – violin

Justyna Zanko is a Polish-born violinist who obtained her MA degree from the Academy of Music in Warsaw studying with Tadeusz Gadzina and Roman Lasocki. In 2014 she gained a prestigious Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance from Birmingham Conservatoire in the United Kingdom where she studied with the last student and protege of the legendary David Oistrakh, Dr. Rimma Sushanskaya.

As a winner of many international competitions in Europe, United Kingdom and the United States Justyna has been undertaking a number of concerts engagements at many distinguished festivals in Europe and the United Kingdom, such as: The Old Town Harmonies Festival, The International Festival of the Wieniawski Brothers Virtuoso Violin Festival, VirtuClassic Festival and many others. Conductors she has performed with include Piotr Wijatkowski, Michael Seal, Rimma Sushanskaya and Cheung Chau.

Julia Miller – piano 

Polish-born pianist Julia Miller graduated from the Music Academy of Lodz in piano performance and chamber music under the tutelage of Prof. Anna Wesolowska- Firlej, Prof. Boguslaw Pikala and Prof. Cezary Sanecki, just to name the few. She was a finalist in several competitions and had her own trio that performed in the most prestigious locations in Poland. Since then, she has carved for herself an international career both as a soloist and as a musical collaborator.

After a stint in Dublin, Ireland, Julia moved to Malta in 2012 and built herself a reputation as both an accompanist to vocalists as well as an accomplished pianist in her own right. She collaborated with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Kor Malta, the Manoel Theatre Youth Opera and been present in several festivals, including the Malta Baroque Festival, the Malta International Spring Festival and Gaulitana Festival, the Victoria International Arts Festival.

Currently, she is reading for her DMus at the University of Malta under the supervision of Prof. Michael Laus and Dr Max Erwin where she is focusing on female composers from the end of 19th century from USA and Sweden.

Thursday 4 July 2024

7.30pm

Concert Hall of the Malta Society of Arts,
Palazzo de La Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta