Praised by the press for performing “Virtuoso pieces with virtuoso accompaniment” (Union Journal Chicago) and “telling fantastic stories with music that literally takes ones breath away” (Fairmont Chamber Music Society) is a nationally and internationally acclaimed ensemble. The sisters have performed both in North America and Europe meeting with rave reviews and standing ovations. Their debut at the Carnegie Hall , a tribute to benefit victims of the national tragedy at the World Trade Center on September 11, was an unmitigated success crowned with long standing ovations and encores.

The sisters have been invited to record several programs for Polish National Television and Radio (Written by the Bow, Karkowska Sisters Duo, “Kamerton”, Pegaz), appeared on PolVision (Chicago,IL), PBS (Buffalo) and together won many prestigious prizes and awards including Top Prizes at the National Competitions in Poland, the First Prize at the International Competition at the Aspen Music Festival (CO), and at the WGUC International Radio Competition (Cincinnati, OH).

They have performed to a great success at some of the most prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall in New York City, Gusman Center for Performing Arts in Miami, FL, Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, MI,The Grace Crum Rollins Fine Arts Center in Willamsburg, KY and to mention only few. They were invited to play for Pope John Paul II's Eightieth Birthday in Chicago, IL,and held concerts at the special request of the Governor of Kentucky (Henry's Clay Award Ceremony) and His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Henri Constantine Paleologue. They also performed at the special event-gala organized by UNICEF to raise funds for the children of Guatemala in Miami, FL, and the Panasonic Foundation in Colorado Springs, CO.

The Karkowska Sisters Duo is also playing an active role in music education. They have already performed and lectured for over one hundred thousand (!) of young listeners in United States to a great success.

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 Individual Bios:

“Remember this name: Anna Karkowska, She is destined for stardom”                       -Don Estep, News Journal

Anna, described by Daniel Barenboim as “a very gifted young violinist”, was born in Lodz, Poland, and made her successful solo debut at the age fifteen at the prestigious String Masters Festival with Zielona Gora Philharmonic playing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. Among her many prizes and awards are: the First Prize at the International Competition at the Aspen Music Festival, Colorado, the First Prize at the WGUC Radio Station International Competition (twice) and one of the most precious awards for a violinist: a loan of Guarneri del Gesu, "Sennhauser" from the elite Stradivari Society . Anna is the only violinist born in Poland to be awarded by this prestigious organization whose previous laureates have been Sara Chang, Gil Shaham or Maxim Vengerov. She has also received the Dorothy Starling Foundation Scholarship, Satterwaite Scholarship, G.M. Grunin Prize and J.S. and Barbara P. Johnson Scholarship, as well as Top Prizes at the National Competitions for Young Talented Violinists in Poland (Lodz, Lublin, Elblag, Olsztyn, and others).

Anna has already performed as a soloist with many orchestras including the Penderecki Festival Orchestra, the Lexington Philharmonic, Sinfonia Cracovia, the Polish-American Symphony Orchestra, the Deaborn Symphony Orchestra, Paderewski Symphony Orchestra, the Fairmont Chamber Orchestra and the Starling Orchestra, and in many prestigious venues including the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Gusman Center for Performing Arts and the Ford Performing Arts Center (to mention only few) to a great success.

A special chapter in her career are the following performances: the concert for the Fulbright Foundation Gala at the National Grand Theater in Warsaw, Poland, with the Penderecki Festival Orchestra, for the Eightieth Birthday of Pope John Paul II in Chicago, IL, with the Polish-American Symphony Orchestra, for the governor of Kentucky at the celebration of Henry Clay Award, for the UNICEF as a benefit for children in Guatemala, Miami, Fl, for His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Henri Constantine Paleologue, and for the Panasonic Foundation Conference, Colorado Springs, CO. Her performances have won the hearts of audiences and press.

Anna is a graduate of Wieniawski Music Highschool. Lodz Poland (the violin class of Zenon Ploszaj), College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, OH (Bachelor of Music, recipient of a full scholarship and a special award in the form of a stipend for living, the violin class of Piotr Milewski), and of the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York City (Master of Music, recipient of full scholarship, the violin class of Dorothy DeLay and Hyo Kang ).

She has recorded several programs for Polish National Television and Radio (Pegaz, Harmonia Mundi, Karkowska Sisters Duo, Written by the Bow), appeared on PolVision (Chicago) and PBS Buffalo.

Her talent was recognized and aided by letters of recommendation from the famous musicians of our times : Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, and Krzysztof Penderecki.

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Kasha Karkowska,   “a superbly talented young pianist”

So exclaimed David Mulbury, DMA, FAGO, University of Cincinnati. Kasha was born in Lodz, Poland. She earned her Masters of Arts majoring in piano solo performance from Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw.

Kasha studied at the Music Academy in Lodz majoring in piano after graduating at the top of her class from Wieniawski Music High School. Bronislawa Kawalla invited Miss Karkowska to continue her studies at Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. While at the Chopin Academy she won awards for her music and scholastic achievements. In Warsaw, besides studying solo piano, she became an avid chamber music player, playing in a variety of chamber music groups. She also participated as an accompanist at the prestigious International Summer Festivals in Zagan and Lancut, in Poland.

As an accompanist she shared her sister's triumph at the Aspen Festival International Competition. Since then she has continued to perform as a soloist and part of the Karkowska Sisters Duo to a great public acclaim.

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