Biography - Anna Starzec Makandasis

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Anna Starzec-Makandasis

A native of Poland, Anna Starzec-Makandasis graduated with honors from the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poland, where she pursued her Master Degree in the studio of Anna Organiszczak. In 2006 she came to United States, named a recipient of a full scholarship, to complete a Masters degree at Oklahoma City University with Amy I- Lin Cheng. Two years later she was awarded the full scholarship to study on the Artist Certificate Program at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas in the studio of acclaimed pianist, Joacquinn Achucarro. In 2012 she pursued her doctoral studies in the studio of Christina Dahl at the Stony Brook University in New York.
 
Anna Starzec-Makandasis has performed recitals in Italy, Norway, Israel, Germany, Poland, and United States. She was invited to participate in numerous music festivals in Poland: International Music Festival in Duszniki – Zdroj, Krzyżowa Summer Academy, Warsaw Music Festival, Aleksiej Orlowiecki Music Festival in Wroclaw. In the U.S. Anna was awarded a full scholarship to participate on the 2009 Summit Music Festival in New York, and 2008 OK Mozart in Tulsa.
She was among a few pianists selected from around the world to participate in the 2007 Piano Texas International Academy and Festival in Forth Worth, Texas. Anna was also invited to perform several recitals at the Felicja Blumental Music Festival in Israel. In 2011 she was invited to be an artist resident on the fellowship program in the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine..
 
Anna Starzec-Makandasis has won the 3rd prize from International Piano Competition of the Associazione F. Chopin in Rome, and commendation of Distinction at the Ibla Grand Prize in Sicily, Italy. During her first academic year in Oklahoma (2006-2007) she won the 1st prize of the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association Graduate Level Piano Competition, and the 2nd prize of the Oklahoma Community Orchestra Young Artist Competition.  She has performed the Ravel Piano Concerto in G- Major with the orchestra on their final concert of the season on April, 2007. She was selected a winner for the Oklahoma City University Concerto Competition and performed with the OCU Symphony during 2007-2008 season. As the winner of the Oklahoma Israel Exchange Young Artist Competition, Anna Starzec performed  a 10 day concert tour of Israel in May of 2008 and she gave a concert recital at the 2008 OK Mozart  International Festival. During her studies in Dallas she won the 2nd prize from the 2009 Hubbards Young Artist Competition. She was an active chamber musician and her trio was selected to the final of the 2011 Coleman Chamber Music Competition in Los Angeles. In 2016 she won second prize in International Music Competition Grand Prize Virtuoso in London.
 
In 2014 she won the artistic scholarship to release her first solo album titled: "On a Polish Folk Note". On this CD she recorded music of Polish composers included F. Chopin, K. Szymanowski and G. Bacewicz. In the same year she was awarded from the President of Wałbrzych – Roman Szełemej for her all significant pianistic achievements. In 2015 she recorded her second album "Nocturnes" with music of L.van Beethoven, F. Chopin and J.B. Kalliwoda.

In September 2015, the Acte Prelable publishing house released her next album, titled "Nocturnes. "Nocturnes", recorded with Marcin Murawski, professor of viola at the I.J.Padarewski Academy of Music in Poznań. The album includes works by L. van Beethoven, J.B. Kalliwoda and F. Chopin in arrangements for viola and piano.

Another CD, "Wojciech Gawronski - Works for Viola and Piano," was released in 2018 and is entirely devoted to the works of Wojciech Gawronski - a very fine pianist with a broad mind, who focused primarily on acquiring timbral, color and dynamic effects in music.

Her latest album, 2020's "Edward Swan Hennessy - Viola and Piano Works", presents the work of Edward Swan Hennessy infused with Romantic music and imrpesionist style, inspired by the sounds of the environment, especially nature.

In 2018 Anna was awarded a doctorate in musical arts. She currently works as an assistant professor at the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan.


 
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