Polish-American pianist, Dr. Ivona Kaminska is among the most recognized artist-teachers of today. Having performed in the most prestigious concert halls in the USA and Europe, such as Salle Cortot, Paris and Carnegie Hall, NYC, Dr Kaminska enjoys her career as a teacher of gifted and ambitious students. Every years her pupils garner dozens of top prizes in local and international competitions and themselves regularly debut on the stage of Carnegie Hall, NYC and Benaroya Hall, Seattle, among many others. Dr Kaminska emphasizes healthy and correct technique from the earliest stages of training, combining this approach with a strong interest in music and fun group classes. She invites ambitious and hard-working students to her studio that aim to prepare for high-level concerts and competitions.

Combining the best of the Eastern European tradition of piano education with modern American pedagogy, Dr Kaminska focuses on strong technical training and developing deep understanding of historical styles. Dr Kaminska excels in preparing young pianists for success and recognition, and she specializes in ambitious students who exhibit a solid work ethic and deep passion for music. She is adored by pupils for her limitless devotion, support, passion, as well as straightforwardness and sense of humor. Passionate about piano teaching, she created Clara’s Piano Corner, a YouTube channel providing insightful performances, commentary, and top-view videos with scores.

Dr. Ivona Kaminska is a president of the Seattle International Piano Competition and Festival, and the artistic director and co-founder of the Chopin Academy of Music. During the spring of 2019, Dr. Kaminska was bestowed the prize for the most outstanding person of Polish origin in the area of culture on the West Coast by the committee “Teraz Polska” at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, California.

Internationally educated, Dr Kaminska holds the highest possible level of pianistic education with four graduate-level degrees from three countries: Poland, Canada and USA: a Masters of Arts Degree from the prestigious Chopin University in Warsaw, Poland as well as the Post-Graduate Artist Performance Diploma from the same institution, Masters of Music Degree from the University of Nebraska, and Doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of British Columbia, Canada. She has also studied at the Mozarteum Festival in Salzburg as well as Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Lübeck, Germany. Her most influential teachers were Tatiana Shebanova, Boris Bloch, Andrzej Stefanski, Henri Paul Sicsic, James Cook and Marek Jablonsky.

Aside from teaching at the Chopin Academy of Music, Dr. Kaminska worked as an instructor in the University of British Columbia, Shoreline College in Seattle and Cornish College of the Arts. She has been also invited to teach in the Tsar’s Village Festival in St Petersburg (2013), University of Southern Oregon, Cornish College Piano Institute, and Barcelona Piano Academy in Spain, and Amici International Music Festival in Malibu, California. She enjoys a vibrant performing career as a duo pianist with her husband, Dr. Christopher Bowlby. The duo performed in several countries, including Italy, France, Spain and Poland, aside from regular concerts in the USA.

Current openings: none.
Do you wish to contact this instructor directly? ivona@chopinacademy.com
Additional Languages Spoken: Polish, German, Russian

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Since 2002, Dr. Christoper Bowlby has established himself as one of the most sought-after piano pedagogues, lecturers, and adjudicators. Aside from his successful career as an instructor of highly-accomplished piano students, Dr. Bowlby is also director and vice-president of the world renowned Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition, as well as program director of the Chopin Academy of Music in Issaquah, Washington. As an accomplished teacher of many award winning students, in 2012, Dr. Bowlby was invited with Dr Kaminska to present on a joint panel, the “Secrets of Winning a Competition” during the Music Teachers’ National Conference in NYC.

Having performed in such prestigious musical centers as the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall in New York City,Salle Cortot in Paris, France, and Benaroya Hall and Meydenbauer Center in Seattle, among others, his playing has been acclaimed for its warmth and integrity.

Previously a winner of several young artists’ and concerto competitions, he has been featured several times on Public Radio (both in Midwest as in Hawaii), both as a speaker as well as a pianist, including a live performance of Bach’s Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828 on King FM in Seattle. His extensive repertoire shows his expertise both in the monumental romantic masterworks such as Brahms’ “Handel Variations” and Schumann’s “Symphonic Etudes” as well as new works by living composers, including John Corigliano, Jeff Junkinsmith, Laura Kaminsky, David Mitchell, and Owen Bloomfield. Equally at home with chamber music literature, Mr. Bowlby performed Beethoven’s Sonata in A major with cellist, Yo-Yo Ma and frequently performs four-hand and duo piano music with his wife, Ivona Kaminska. Throughout his international studies, he has coached with such eminent artists as Marek Jablonski, Henri-Paul Sicsic, Eugene Skovorodnikov, Mark Clinton, Boris Berman, Stéphane Lemelin, Patricia Michaelian, and Craig Sheppard.

His secondary academic interest in music theory led him to study with some of today’s most prominent theorists, including Henry Klumpenhouwer, Richard Kurth, John Rahn, and Jonathan Bernard. Dr. Bowlby’s research led him to new discoveries of religious symbolic conveyance in Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus.

Formerly, Dr. Bowlby was on the faculty of Mount Royal College in Richmond, Canada, University of British Columbia, Shoreline Community College and University of Washington, as well as the Ashland International Piano Institute in the University of Southern Oregon. In 2013, Dr. Bowlby also shared his pianistic passion and knowledge with students of the Tzar’s Music Festival Summer Master Class Program in St. Petersburg, Russia. His recent engagements include performances at the prestigious SOU piano series in Oregon and Southern Louisiana Piano Festival and numerous lecture recitals.. Dr Bowlby is often judging various competitions, such as the 2014 and 2016 Thalberg International Piano Competitions in Naples, Italy. For more info visit his personal website: www.kbpianoduo.com

The students of Dr. Bowlby are awarded more than 30 top prizes in festivals and competitions each year. All ambitious students, for whom piano is their main passion, are invited to audition for his studio. Their students have a minimum commitment from one to three hours of practice a day, depending on age and experience. Currently, Dr. Bowlby has limited openings.

Current openings: None. For more info please, contact directly Dr Bowlby: cbowlby@chopinacademy.com

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