Biography

Aldona Fowler (nee Sankowska)

A classical pianist, organist, and music teacher by training, Aldona was born in Szczecin, Poland . Her initial artistic development focused on ballet which she began to study and practice at age 5, even before entering primary school at age 7. Aldona continued her ballet studies until age 13. At the age of 12 she decided to pursue piano as her chosen discipline and entered the Primary Music School in Szczecin, while continuing to study ballet for a further year. After her first year of piano studies, she also began learning to play the viola, but maintained her dedication to the piano as her instrument of choice.

In just 3 years of music studies, her talent and dedication enabled her to obtain her diploma in piano from the piano department with the highest grades.

She applied to the Music College of Szczecin and succeeded in the entrance examinations. There, she studied under the great teacher of piano, Mikolaj Szczesny, himself a student of Olga Ilwicka-Dabrowska, the famous laureate of the III International Frederick Chopin Competition held in Warsaw, Poland in 1937. Under his intense training, Aldona completed her studies for the diploma concert in less time than normally taken by good students, and was awarded her diploma achieving the highest score obtained by a graduate. Immediately thereafter she passed the competition entrance examinations for admittance to the Advanced Music School in Poznan, now known as the Ignacy Paderewski Music Academy. She began her studies in the piano department of the Music Academy in 1977 under the renowned piano master Halina Czerny-Stefanska, the winner of the 1st laureate award of the IV International Frederick Chopin Competition held in Warsaw, Poland in 1949.

During this wonderful time as a graduate student, Halina Czerny-Stefanska, as a world famous pianist was also traveling internationally, giving concerts in the great music halls of the world, and during her absences, Aldona was traveling to Krakow (famous as a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Europe) to study under Ludwig Stefanski, husband of Halina Czerny-Stefanska, and himself a great Polish pianist and master teacher of piano. Often the sessions would last 6-7 hours per day and were of the highest calibre of teaching excellence. The home of the Stefanskis saw many famous musicians gather there to study, play and practice, including, for example, Kevin Kenner winner of the 2nd laureate of the X International Frederick Chopin Competition held in Warsaw, Poland in 1990.

While still pursuing studies at the Music Academy, Aldona began her formal career in music education as a teacher of piano in the Primary Music School in Poznan during the period 1981-1986. During this time she completed her studies at the Music Academy and was awarded the Master of Arts (Music, Piano) degree in 1985. While pursuing these studies she also completed the two year specialized course of the pedagogical department of the Academy and obtained the School Leaving Teaching Certificate.

Her work as a teacher of piano was well rewarded during this period as reflected in the successes of her students. In 1983 one of her students qualified to participate in the National J.S. Bach Piano Competition in Gorzow, obtaining high scores as well. Aldona realized that music education in piano would become a most important part of her life and that teaching young talented persons how to play piano, how to play Chopin, Mozart, Scarlatti, Scriabin, Beethoven, all the great composers of piano, is immensely rewarding for her. During this same period Aldona passed an examination for the Nomination Certificate for the Piano Teacher examination and subsequently was certificated as a piano teacher by the Polish Ministry of Culture in Poznan. In 1986, two of her students obtained very high awards in the Gertruda Konatkowska piano competition held in Poznan; Agnieszka Kaczmarek won 2nd prize (no first was awarded) and another, Justyna Demuth won the 5th place award.
In 1989 Aldona was offered a position in the Poznan Music College, one of the best of its kind in Poland. She was both a teacher of piano and an accompanist for violin and cello. In this position she was truly a professional music educator and was mostly involved in giving individual piano lessons, which was a great pleasure for her. Her pupils were playing at a high level, giving concerts with orchestra featuring the compositions of young Polish composers. Her students were also obtaining high scores during the regular entrance competitions for places as students in the Music Academy (post-graduate equivalent).

Aldona also began playing organ music in 1986 and performed as the organist of St. John Vianney Church in Poznan. She continued to act as the principal organist there until 1996. To improve her capabilities as an organist, and her knowledge of church music, she began formal studies in organ and church music at the Papal Faculty of Theology at the Liturgy and Music Department of the Archdiocese of Poznan. As a graduate of the Music Academy and Master of Arts in Music she progressed very quickly, and within 2 years obtained her diploma in organ and church music, liturgy, and also as a conductor of the choir with the highest of grades. As a professional organist she has enjoyed frequent opportunities to play with many great singers and choirs.

Working at the Music College as an accompanist, Aldona was performing with many young musicians of great talent, many of whom are now members of renowned orchestras, as for example, Dymitr Olszewski, who is playing with one of the best European Chamber Orchestras, Arte Dei Suonatori, and others who are members of the Kristian Zimmerman Orchestra.

She has also been a member of a well-known choral group, the Poznan University of Medical Sciences Mixed Choir. She traveled with this choir throughout Europe, to competitions in Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Holland and Belgium. This choir was awarded the highest prize on no less than 16 occasions, and performed for Pope John Paul II, the Belgian Royal Couple and the President of Hungary. The choir also performed with great musicians such as Oscar winner John A.P. Kaczmarek and has been recorded during several radio broadcasts and appearances on BBC TV.

In 1994 Aldona began to take on contract work internationally, her first performance being the classical pianist with the Con Moto Duo (for cello and piano) at the Meridian Damascus. Over the last several years she has performed in various venues across the Middle East and Asia, playing the great classical composers (Chopin, Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven etc.) as well as contemporary music. On many of these occasions she has performed with cellists and violinists, on others she has performed as a solo pianist, as follows:

Since 2001, Aldona has resided in Poznan, Poland. She has resumed her favourite profession and gives private piano instruction to talented young students of all ages, including adults and handicapped persons. She organizes regular concerts for her students giving them the opportunity to perform in the presence of an audience. Her work with handicapped students has become a most rewarding application of her skills and knowledge as giving such individuals piano lessons provides them with tremendous opportunities to develop their abilities to relax, to create, use their imagination and develop mental and emotional capacity. She has found that these persons benefit greatly from their participation in the concert program.

In April 2006 Aldona moved to St.Thomas-London, Ontario, Canada as a permanent resident, to begin a new chapter in her ever-expanding career in music education and performance. She cannot imagine life without teaching piano and has opened her private music academy so that she may continue to work with young and adult talented people to help them develop new dimensions in their souls and find their places in the fantastic world of the musical arts.