Meet Vivaldi String Academy Co-Founder
Frances BOROWSKY
"She began with three movements from the Bach third solo-suite in which she impressively demonstrated her artistic excellency and high level of musicality most impressively. Oozing overall confidence and with sovereignty, she played with a superbly juicy tone, rich in resonance, with a dance-like swing and full of spirit. Particularly masterful was her performance of Hindemith’s cello-sonata, achieving creative maturity in the very challenging work, which is totally unusual for her young age. Very courageous and with a grip full of relish she made music, marvelously colorful and with deep expression as well as with a compelling temperament. With relish there followed celebrated fireworks with David Popper’s “Hungarian Rhapsody.” Rhein-Neckar Zeitung (Heidelberg, Germany)
Gracing the stages of over thirty countries, cellist Frances Borowsky is quickly establishing herself as one of the most sensitive artists of her generation. A dedicated citizen of the world, Frances embeds her memories of Norwegian fjords, Venetian artists, Parisian chocolates, and friendly Belgian cows into the rich tapestry of her explosive interpretations. Recent performance highlights include concert tours in Lithuania and Cuba with the American Virtuosi, performing Vivaldi’s Double Cello concerto with Cecylia Barczyk and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, as well as Beethoven's Triple Concerto with her siblings and the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra. Recent collaborative performances were for the Amici Music Series in Baltimore with founder and pianist Dan Weiser, Riversdale Chamber Music Society with faculty from the University of Maryland, Chopin Club in Providence, Tempo New Music Series at UMD, and the UMD Chamber Music Showcase at the Millennium Stage at Kennedy Center. Frances has also collaborated with wind ensemble Quinteto Latino, pianists Brian Ganz and Georges Beriachvili, cellist Amit Peled, violinist Borisas Traubas, and the Dagilelis Boys Choir of Lithuania.
Awards include the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize for excellence in chamber music at The Peabody Institute, first prizes in the Mary Graham Lasley Concerto Competition, Levine Chamber Music Competition (as part of Trio INUENDI), Baltimore Music Club Competition, and Peggy Friedman – Yale Gordon Competition, and second prize in the Sylvia and Irving H. Cohen Competition. Frances performed her New York Debut at Carnegie Hall at the age of twelve as a recipient of the Erick Friedman Prize for Outstanding Young Musicians.
Throughout her career, Frances has been involved with performing and composing new music. She frequently performs together with her brother (violinist Emmanuel Borowsky) and sister (pianist Elizabeth Borowsky). As Artists-in-Residence at the Dilsberg Castle (Germany) in 2008, she and her siblings co-composed their first trio, “Postcards from Dilsberg,” which is available on DVD and published by ICRecords. Since then, they have co-composed three more trios and frequently include them in performance.
Since 2012, Frances has served as Assistant Director of the Intermuse International Music Institute and Festival USA. There, she teaches cello and chamber music to students from around the world, and collaborates with IIMIF faculty in chamber music performances.
Frances graduated from the Honor's College of Towson University at eighteen. Her mother, acclaimed cellist Cecylia Barczyk, was her primary instructor from childhood through her studies at Towson University. Frances continued her education under Amit Peled at the Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University (MM), and earned a second masters degree from the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, where she studied with Alexander Hülshoff and Laurentiu Sbarcea. Additionally, she has been mentored by prestigious cellists Janos Starker, Johannes Moser, and Michael Flaksman. Frances recently completed her studies in the Doctorate of Musical Arts program at the University of Maryland, where she served as graduate assistant to Dr. Eric Kutz.
Awards include the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize for excellence in chamber music at The Peabody Institute, first prizes in the Mary Graham Lasley Concerto Competition, Levine Chamber Music Competition (as part of Trio INUENDI), Baltimore Music Club Competition, and Peggy Friedman – Yale Gordon Competition, and second prize in the Sylvia and Irving H. Cohen Competition. Frances performed her New York Debut at Carnegie Hall at the age of twelve as a recipient of the Erick Friedman Prize for Outstanding Young Musicians.
Throughout her career, Frances has been involved with performing and composing new music. She frequently performs together with her brother (violinist Emmanuel Borowsky) and sister (pianist Elizabeth Borowsky). As Artists-in-Residence at the Dilsberg Castle (Germany) in 2008, she and her siblings co-composed their first trio, “Postcards from Dilsberg,” which is available on DVD and published by ICRecords. Since then, they have co-composed three more trios and frequently include them in performance.
Since 2012, Frances has served as Assistant Director of the Intermuse International Music Institute and Festival USA. There, she teaches cello and chamber music to students from around the world, and collaborates with IIMIF faculty in chamber music performances.
Frances graduated from the Honor's College of Towson University at eighteen. Her mother, acclaimed cellist Cecylia Barczyk, was her primary instructor from childhood through her studies at Towson University. Frances continued her education under Amit Peled at the Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University (MM), and earned a second masters degree from the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, where she studied with Alexander Hülshoff and Laurentiu Sbarcea. Additionally, she has been mentored by prestigious cellists Janos Starker, Johannes Moser, and Michael Flaksman. Frances recently completed her studies in the Doctorate of Musical Arts program at the University of Maryland, where she served as graduate assistant to Dr. Eric Kutz.
