The Art of the Prelude

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This event will be held in English.

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In this lecture-recital, pianist and harpsichordist Magdalena Baczewska explores the history of composing and performing 17th- and 18th-century keyboard preludes, tracing the development of the genre over time. The program will feature a wide range of keyboard preludes, including works by Jean-Henri d'Anglebert, Louis Couperin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Fryderyk Chopin, and Claude Debussy.

Magdalena Stern-Baczewska is a Polish-American concert pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. Since 2014, she has served as the Director of the Music Performance Program and Senior Lecturer in Music at Columbia University. She has performed as a soloist with major orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra and has appeared in concerts with notable artists like Joshua Bell and Tan Dun. Baczewska’s discography spans Baroque, Romantic, and contemporary music, including collaborations with DJs and Hip-hop and EDM artists. Together with the Bluesleep medical team, which specializes in treating sleep disorders, she has produced the best-selling Music for Dreams album series. As a Yamaha artist, she has pioneered the use of Yamaha Disklavier technology in both teaching and recording. A passionate advocate for equal access to the joy of music, she engages in outreach and community initiatives as a teaching artist for Tonebase, Lecturer in Residence for the Grand Piano Series, and Grandmentor for the Musical Mentors Collaborative.

The Rendez-Vous de l’Institut Series is generously supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. You will find a full calendar of the Fellows’ Talks.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Institute for Ideas and Imagination, Columbia Global Centers | Paris, Reid Hall, Paris, France