Helena Bowkun, Pianist

Posted by Carol Bieser 
on Jul 30, 2014
 
Guest Entertainer August 8, 2014 in the Upper Canada Room
 
ROTARY FELLOWSHIP BUFFET LUNCHEON
 
Born in Toronto of Ukrainian parents, pianist Heléna Bowkun has established an international reputation as a performer, teacher and commentator on music. Since her highly acclaimed debut with the Toronto Symphony in which she played the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto to a standing ovation and sold-out hall, Ms. Bowkun has performed extensively in recital and in concert, on television and radio. Some of her orchestral appearances as soloist include The Toulouse Symphony, The National Arts Centre Orchestra, The Edmonton Symphony, The Hamilton Philharmonic, CJRT and CBC Orchestras (Toronto).
 
Ms. Bowkun‟s recital appearances have included performances across North America as well as concerts in Rome, Paris, Lausanne and St. Jean de Luz.
Her performances have been broadcast frequently on CBC Radio, as well as CJRT, WQXR in New York and on Radio France. She has recorded for Jubal, the CBC SM series, and the Mastersound and RCA Red Seal labels.
 
She is a graduate of both the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Faculty of Music of the University of Toronto and has received many awards including recipient of a Chalmers Award Grant for Professional Development.  Her commitment to the development of young musicians involves her as a teacher, adjudicator and workshop clinician. She taught at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music. She was artist in residence of both the summer programs at the Banff Centre and Festival Domaine Forget in Charlevoix, Québec. She is a master class presenter on performance and pedagogy and has lectured on related subjects, including the prevention of and rehabilitation of performance related injuries.
 
Ms. Bowkun‟s articles have appeared in publications such as the Toronto Star and the former Classical Music Magazine. She is a Steinway artist and has been listed in the Canadian ‘Who’s Who’ and Chatelaine Presents “The Who’s Who of Canadian Women.”
 
Ms. Bowkun currently resides in Toronto.