Adjudicators

Dr. Warszynski also has given masterclasses & performed lecture-recitals at various Universities on three continents. Mikolaj Warszynski is a recipient of numerous scholarships, grants, and awards from Canada and abroad. He was a gold medalist in the Festival de Musique du Royaume du Québec, and was awarded a Sauter grand piano on loan from the National Instrument Foundation in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Most recently, as part of the ZUMI piano duo, Mikolaj received a grant from the Canada Council on an audio & video project putting the spotlight on Canadian contemporary composers. As a recipient of a doctorate scholarship from the FQRSC in support of his dissertation entitled “Exoticism and intercultural influences in the piano cycle Metopes (1915) by Karol Szymanowski”, Dr. Warszynski has gone on to perform lecture-recitals on the subject at Universities in Canada and the USA for the College of Music Society. Mikolaj completed undergraduate studies with distinction at the University of Alberta with Marek Jablonski, going on to receive “cum laude” graduate diploma at the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands with Aquiles Delle Vigne, before completing both his master's and doctorate degrees at the University of Montreal with Marc Durand and Paul Stewart. Warszynski has also been an artist-in-residence at the Banff Centre and in Paris at the Cité des Arts. He also participated in masterclasses at the Aspen School of Music in Colorado and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Warszynski is the artistic director of the Mazurka Music and Art Society, the Music Liaison to the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies at the University of Alberta, and a founding director of the Chopin Piano Studio in Edmonton. Warszynski is also a part of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music. Warszynski has been heard on radio and television broadcasts across Canada on CKUA, CBC, CJSR and OMNI TV, in Czech Republic (Radio Vltava), and in the USA (WPRB).

Adelheid has been a dedicated extensive piano instructor in Canada since 2006, with studio teaching and private teaching experience. She is familiar with many music methods and their curriculum, including Suzuki Piano, Yamaha and RCM, and received her Teacher Development Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Canada in 2011 and Top Teacher Award recognized by Steinway & Sons. In addition, she has experience as competition judge and is a Royal Conservatory of Canada certified teacher with Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Specialist designations.

Adelheid has been studying piano since she was recognized as a child prodigy at the age of 6. She has continued to develop her interest and passion for music, and graduated with a Baccalaureate in Music from the Art Highschool in Ploiesti, Romania, and Bachelor in Music Performance (Piano) at The University of Calgary.

Having won her first gold medal in Hyeres, France at Maryse Cheilan International Piano Competition at the age of 8, she continued to acquire many prizes and trophies at various International Competitions and Music Olympics throughout Europe and Canada. She had her first live interview at a local TV station in Ploiesti, Romania at the age of 9, regarding her early performing career and played live on three occasions with the Radio Cultural Station in Bucharest, Romania.

She has performed in recitals, concerts and masterclasses in Romania, France, Germany, Austria, and Canada, and has also performed with the Ploiesti Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania, where she gave two piano concertos (J.Haydn’s D Major piano concerto; and F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s G Minor piano concerto), the first one being performed at the young age of 13.

Adelheid has thorough knowledge of music theory and harmony, music history, musicianship, and chamber music and encourages her students to play piano and learn music professionally or just for the joy and understanding of music.

Kevin Takahide Lee - Speech Arts Adjudicator