Ignacy Gaydamovich Grzelazka
Visiting Assistant Professor of Cello
I am passionate about music and about creating a spark that can eventually lead to a love for the arts!
- DMA - University of Hartford, The Hartt School, West Hartford, CT, 2016
Biography
Ignacy Gaydamovich is a world-renowned cellist with an impressive career spanning several continents. He has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Hartt School Symphony Orchestra in West Hartford, CT, the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, the National Radio and TV Orchestra of Tirana in Albania, the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Conservatory Music in the Mountains Orchestra in Durango, CO. Gaydamovich has also captivated audiences with his international solo cello recitals, including performances Panama and Lithuania. His recitals with piano have taken him to prestigious venues such as the House of Rachmaninoff Festival in Ivanovka, Russia, the National Library in Panama City, the Oizumi Hall in Tokyo, Japan, the American Christian University in Beirut, Lebanon, and the Allegro Vivo Music Festival in Horn, Austria.
Gaydamovich's chamber music performances have also been widely acclaimed, with appearances at the Qingdao Westin Hotel Hall in China, the Nippon Bank Hall in Fukuoka, Japan, and the Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Hall in Poland. In the United States, he has performed in numerous solo cello recitals, including at the Viva Bach Peterborough Music Festival in NH, the Abbott Public Library in Marblehead, MA, and the Boston Public Library in MA, among others. He also frequently performs historically informed recitals with piano at the Frederick Collection of Historical Pianos in Ashburnham, MA playing with renowned pianist Jiayan Sun on several occasions. Gaydamovich has also been a sought-after faculty member, having taught at institutions such as Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and Texas Christian University. He has also been a guest faculty member at prestigious international festivals such as the Qingdao International Classical Music Festival and Competition in China, the Cellofest in Panama City, and the Vivace Vilnius International Music Festival in Lithuania. Currently, he is the Assistant Cello Professor at Stetson University in Deland, FL.
Gaydamovich has also given guest masterclasses at institutions such as the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY, the University of Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS, and the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Poland. In addition to his extensive performing and teaching experience, Gaydamovich has received several awards throughout his career, including the Grand Prix and Best Solo and Chamber Prizes at the Allegro-Vivo Festival in Horn, Austria in 2005, and the Third Prize at the K. Bacewicz International Chamber Music Competition in d, Poland in 2004. Gaydamovich holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, CT, a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA, a Graduate Performance Diploma from The Boston Conservatory in Boston, MA, a Master of Music degree from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, and a Master of Arts degree from the Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw, Poland. His former mentors include Terry King, Rhonda Rider, and Jesus Castro-Balbi. With his virtuosic cello playing, extensive performance experience, and dedication to education, Ignacy Gaydamovich continues to captivate audiences and inspire the next generation of musicians. In his spare time he likes to spend as an amateur cyclist competing in local criterium and road races.
More About Ignacy Gaydamovich Grzelazka
Areas of Expertise
- Cello Performance
- Chamber Music
- Historically Informed Performance
Course Sampling
- Cello Performance
- Chamber Music
- Historically Informed Performance Practice
- Art Philosophy
"Beyond the Octave" Cello Method
The majority of published violoncello methods deal with beginning studies. Most etudes, exercises, and pedagogical pieces were written one or even two centuries ago. Though there are a few contemporary methods that bring new approaches to the technique of the left hand, still more needs to be done. Many of these methods are not comprehensive and do not help the cellist with the practical challenges in the standard repertoire, especially twentieth-century works. Based on composers' demands and the advancements in cello technique in the twentieth century, I am making an attempt to compile a relevant method for advanced cellists that will include new approaches to left-hand technique. It will provide a more efficient way of practicing challenging passages in the standard repertoire, and propose a new way of understanding the fingerboard and how to get around it on the cello using the technique of shifting between various positions. This approach is based, in part, on my study of several twentieth-century violin and cello methods. The starting point for the thumb position exercises is the method by Janos Starker. Terry King and his ideas have been invaluable assets while creating new chapters. The method would eventually be accessible to teachers and students worldwide, thus propelling the progress of cello playing forward. I argue that cello pedagogy, especially for more advanced players needs an update in a fashion that is similar to that of violin pedagogy in the twentieth century.
I find your approach intelligent, useful, and a logical extension of my method. I stated many times that the mechanical aspect of instrumental playing is an ever-evolving process. You are proving it. Janos Starker