Programme

K. Szymanowski (1882 – 1937)           Sonata no. 9 in D Minor

                                                             Roksana’s Song (from King Roger)

H. Wieniawski (1835 – 1880)               Polish Dances:

                                                             ‘Kujawiak’ op. 3 no. 2

                                                              ‘Chanson Polonaise’ op. 12 no. 2

                                                              ‘Obertas’ op. 19 no. 1

                                                              ‘Le Ménétrier’ op. 19 no. 2

                                                               ‘Romance’ from Violin Concerto in D Minor op. 22

                                                               Concert Polonaise in D Major op. 4 no. 1

F. Chopin (1810 – 1849)                        Nocturne no. 20 in C# Minor

I. Paderewski (1860 – 1941)                 Melody in Gb Major op. 16 no. 2

H. Wieniawski                                      Scherzo Tarantelle op. 16

Polish-born pianist Julia Miller graduated from the Music Academy, Lodz, in pianoforte performance and chamber music under the tuition of Prof. Anna Wesolowska- Firlej, Prof. Boguslaw Pikala and Prof. Cezary Sanecki, among others. She was a finalist in several competitions and had her own Trio which 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, Julia moved to Malta in 2012 and built for herself a reputation as both an accompanist to vocalists as well as an accomplished pianist in her own right. She has collaborated with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Kor Malta, the Manoel Theatre Youth Opera and has also performed in several festivals, including the Malta Baroque Festival, the Malta International Spring Festival, Gaulitana Festival, and the Victoria International Arts Festival. Currently, she is reading her DMus at the University of Malta under the supervision of Prof. Michael Laus and Dr Max Erwin where she is focusing on American and Swedish female composers from the end of 19^th century.

Justyna Zanko is a Polish-born violinist who obtained her MA degree from the Academy of Music, Warsaw, studying with Tadeusz Gadzina and Roman Lasocki. In 2014 she gained a prestigious Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance from Birmingham Conservatoire, England, where she studied with the last student and protégé 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 in numerous distinguished festivals in Europe and the United Kingdom, namely, 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.