Dances of Freedom & Dreams: Kosciuszko, Chopin & Smetana – A piano recital by Elzbieta Bilicka
Join internationally acclaimed pianist Elżbieta Bilicka for a captivating recital that bridges history, heroism, and imagination. The program begins with the polonaise—a symbol of Poland’s national spirit—featuring works by Michał Ogiński, Józef Władysław Krogulski, and the rarely heard Polonaise in B-flat major by Tadeusz Kościuszko (yes, Poland’s most famous general also composed music!). The journey continues through the brilliance and poetry of Chopin’s polonaises, culminating in the radiant Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante. The evening concludes with Bedřich Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15 featuring violinist Jeremiah Blacklow and cellist Hannah Rubin. A wine reception will follow the recital.
Monday, December 1, 2025, 7:30 PM
The Kosciuszko Foundation: 15 E 65th Street, NYC
About the Artists:
Pianist Elżbieta Bilicka is the first-prize winner of numerous international competitions, including G-clef (South Korea), Walled City (Ireland), and Putra (Malaysia) and is a laureate of the Olga Kern (New Mexico), Paderewski (Poland) and the NIFC Chopin (Poland) competitions. She was awarded the prestigious “Young Poland” Scholarship from the Polish Minister of Culture in 2018 and 2023. Ms. Bilicka has performed as concerto soloist and recitalist across Poland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. Her performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio, Central New York’s Classic FM, Polish TV-Culture and Radio Koszalin. Her debut album, Lights and Shadows (Centaur) received critical plaudits from American Record Guide, Classical Sentinel, and Fanfare Magazine, which praised her “strong poetic streak.” Elżbieta Bilicka holds degrees from the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, Poland, the Haute École de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Manhattan School of Music in New York, NY, where she studied under the tutelage of Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń. Nelson Goerner, and Olga Kern. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the CUNY Graduate Center, where she studies with Nicolas Namoradze. MORE
An avid chamber musician and scholar, violinist Jeremiah Blacklow is known for his sincere playing and uniquely personal style. He began studying violin when he was three, and debuted in Carnegie’s Weill Hall at the age of eight. As a performer, Jeremiah has taken the stage at important cultural centers across the globe including Incheon’s Tri-Bowl, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, New York’s DiMenna Center, Marlboro Music, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Jeremiah received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College majoring in Slavic Languages and Literature and completed his Masters in violin performance at the Juilliard School with the support of Dorothy Starling and Fidelity Foundation Scholarships. Jeremiah owes much of his musical growth to devoted teachers Catherine Cho and Itzhak Perlman, who both guided him for over a decade. He is currently a Graduate Center Fellow pursuing a doctoral degree at City University of New York, where he studies with Mark Steinberg. MORE
Hannah Rubin is establishing herself as an avid collaborator, soloist, and mentor based in New York City, though her musical endeavors span across the US and Europe. She has performed solo and in chamber groups on stages from the Kennedy Center in D.C. and Carnegie Hall in New York to Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavik and Troldhaugen in Norway, and has participated in masterclasses with Claudio Bohòrquez, Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, and the Schumann, Takács, Jupiter, and St. Lawrence quartets.
Last summer, Hannah returned as a fellow to the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, performing multiple chamber works including the festival premiere of Juantio Becenti’s Divertimento No. 4 for Piano Quartet alongside Midori. In June, she will head to Taos Ski Valley to rehearse and perform chamber music as a fellow in their summer music festival. She has also had the privilege of attending the IMS Prussia Cove masterclasses, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Heifetz Institute, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Tanglewood Institute, Castleman Quartet Program, and more. MORE
This recital is made possible through the generous support of Fryderyk Dammont.
