Bandoneon soloist Lidia Kaminsky said, “I am so excited to perform “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla with the Heartland Festival Orchestra, here in Peoria, IL. Fantastic violinist Francisco Fullana will join me in one of the Seasons Verano Porteno.” The concert happened on October 31, 2020. The concert benefits: Youth Music Illinois

“Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” {Las Cuatro Estacionies Portnas) by Astor Piazzolla was arranged by Leonid Desyatnikov. the solo part was adapted by Lidia Kaminsky who was the bandoneon soloist.
I.Primavera Porteña (Spring) – Allegro
II. Otoño Porteño (Autumn) – quarter note = 112
III. Invierno Porteño (Winter) – Andante moderato
IV. Verano Porteño (Summer) – Allegro

Accordionist Lidia Kaminska, the winner of Astral Artistic Services’ 2007 National Auditions, has performed extensively in both the U.S. and Europe. Ms. Kaminska’s chamber music, concerto, and solo performances explore the complex and expressive range of the accordion as a classical instrument, and her repertoire includes a broad range of classical, contemporary, and avant-garde music. She conceived her first album, “Breaking Boundaries”, as part of her mission to change the perception of the accordion from parlor entertainment to a serious classical instrument; Philadelphia Magazine claims “she transforms the accordion into a massive force – more pipe organ than squeezebox – and burns through [classical repertoire] with virtuosic speed and technique.”

Ms.Kaminska began playing the accordion at the age of eight. By eleven she was competing in International competitions in Bulgaria and Germany, and just a year later gave solo performances in Holland, Austria, and Germany, as well as in her native Poland. Upon receiving a Master’s degree from the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, she came to the U.S. to study at the University of Missouri in Kansas City (UMKC) studying with Joan C. Sommers, and at 25 she became the first person in the U.S. to receive a Doctorate in Accordion Performance.

The recipient of a 2009 Career Advancement Award from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, Ms. Kaminska also received First Prize in the 2002 Accordion Teachers Guild, International (ATG) Competition in Orlando, Florida, the Special Prize in New York City’s International Tango Music Competition, with the Argentine tango ensemble Tango Lorca and Second Prize at the 2007 Coupe Mondiale International Competition for Ensemble Music. She has researched and performed the works of Astor Piazzolla extensively.

Also possessing a special interest in new music, Ms. Kaminska has premièred works by Julia Alford Fowler and Paul Rudy and has appeared with the contemporary music ensembles New Ear and Musica Nova. She has also performed with both the Owen/Cox Dance Group and at the world première of BalletX; she went on to collaborate with Mathew Neenan of BalletX, and with dancer/choreographer Jorge Laico, for Pennsylvania Dance Theatre.

Ms. Kaminska performed in a concert entitled “From My Latin Soul,” with legendary tenor Plácido Domingo in Washington, D.C.’s Constitution Hall. Symphony in C featured her in a sold-out performance as soloist in Piazzolla’s Aconcagua concerto for bandoneón, and she recently made a return appearance at the Symphony. She has also been a featured soloist with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, the Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music, the Kielce Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland, the Strings of Lodz, the Concord Chamber Orchestra, the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. She has also been presented at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Philadelphia Magazine featured her in its 2006 “Best of Philly” issue, and her interview with Marty Moss-Coane was recently broadcast on WHYY and NPR.

The Heartland Festival Orchestra is a versatile and innovative orchestra composed of the finest professional musicians Central Illinois has to offer. Their concerts are presented in a variety of locations, and each one benefits a charity partner doing great work for our community.The Mission of the Heartland Festival Orchestra is to serve the extended community of Central Illinois with a unique level of musical excellence, innovation, imagination, and outreach. Recruiting the finest among the region’s professional musicians, our performances vary in musical styles and periods, ensemble type and size, and venue. Our concerts challenge the stereotypes of classical music performance, inviting audiences to participate in an informal, spontaneous, and interactive experience.

The HFO is fundamentally committed to balancing artistic, educational, and financial goals in a way which respects the differing expertise, roles, and responsibilities of its partners: Artistic Director, Musicians, Board, Staff, Sponsors, and Concertgoers. We are committed to seeking out partners among local and regional charitable organizations in order that they may share in both outreach and financial benefit from our concerts.

For further information on the Heartland Festival Orchestra: info@heartlandfestivalorchestra.org

For further information on Lidia Kaminska: lidiak@lidiakaminska.com