Welcome to my Celebration of the Chopin Year– 2010!

My celebration started early due to an exciting invitation from my Polish friend, Jarek Cholodecki, owner of Boutique B & B Warsaw (www.bedandbreakfast.pl). He offered me a lovely invitation to be Artist-in-Residence at the GRAĆ CHOPINA (Playing Chopin) Workshop, held in Warsaw from August 5-19, 2009, supported by the Polish Senate, Dom Kultury Srodmiescie, and Stowarzszenie Wspolnota Polska.

My role in this workshop was to give 4 performances of my new one-woman show *REMEMBERING FRÉDÉRIC: A Musical Conversation between Chopin and George Sand, and to teach 6 masterclasses to a wonderful, international group of highly gifted young pianists -- all in the 9 days I was there! It was a marvelous experience that I will always treasure, and I thank all who made it possible. Please enjoy the photos and reading about my adventure!

-- Pamela Howland

IMAGES FROM REMEMBERING FRÉDÉRIC

WORKSHOP VIDEO

	I was thrilled by the musical sensitivity, nice phrasing and rich nuance – especially the interpretation of mazurkas. They had both the rhythm of Polish folk dances and Chopin’s aristocratic mode of expression. These are not easy to unite – the performer needs deep musicality, knowledge and taste. Joanna Maklakiewicz Associate Professor of Piano Frederic Chopin University, Warsaw
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STUDENT COMMENTS

Pamela Howland is a great musician, pedagogue, psychologist, and actress!  Musician and actress on the stage – pedagogue and psychologist behind the stage.  She is a lovely, positive and unusual person and helped everyone find something new in their own performances.  Thank you for your courage, for your music and for all the things you are doing!!

Marianna Karakeyan
Graduate Student
Yeveran State Music Conservatory
Komitas, Armenia

I wish that this workshop could be continued and we could meet at least once a year.  I’m glad that I met you, Dr. Howland!  I got to know a new method of teaching, new teacher’s attitude as well as a new understanding of Chopin’s music…You’re a very special person, you’re very kind, understanding, and a wise woman!

Kristina Golubeva, Undergraduate Student
The State Academy of Slavonic Culture & the Russian Academy after Gnesins
Moscow, Russia

Dr. Pamela Howland helped me to apply new interpretation and to improve the quality of the sound in my piano playing. Our workshops and discussions were very creative...During the concerts I could listen to Dr Howland playing in life...Her concerts were  a combination of music and poetry; that made me closer to Chopin's life... Preludes, Waltzes and Mazurkas were played with a simplicity and honesty. In Mazurkas I discovered the sense of a rhythm and a style close to our native understanding of Polish folk music. These concerts were certainly attractive for the audience. It is not that common that one can meet a pianist who is able to perform, to read a poetry in several languages and also to act on the stage. Dr Howland did it with a sensitive feeling and in the most professional way. It gave me a lot of inspiration to interprete Chopin's music and to percieve it as a combination of mind, soul and human feelings.

Agnieszka Pluta, Graduate Student
Royal College of Music
London, England  

I have only positive emotions after the Workshop.  We got great experience and practice during the masterclsses. You are a real teacher-kind,attentive and understanding. You have a special way with every student. Every participant made a serious step on a professional path. I think we developed not only our musician skills but also our personalities.We have made new friends. I have an idea to meet every year....I am sure you will be able to do this. You are magic!!!!

Elvira Ablaeva, Undergraduate Student
Crimea, Ukraine

I learned that  I could make my musical mind clear. There were my friends from different countries; I could see how they are, how they think, even their culture. And the visits to  Szafarnia and Zelazowa Wola helped me to more understand more about Chopin.  The open air concerts made them more special.  I think now I can understand, what is the conversaton with the audience.  Your performance was very fresh for me. It gave me many ideas.

SyYeon Son, Graduate Student
Frederic Chopin University,
Warsaw, Poland 

Click here to learn more about the Chopin workshop.

Click here to download the official “Remembering Frédéric” flyer.