Polish-born pianist, theorist and composer Dr. Beata Golec lives in the Upstate New York where she teaches and collaborates with choral ensembles at the State University of New York in Geneseo and the Diocese of Rochester. Dr. Golec is the recipient of the 2021 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and 2024 Victor Business Awards. In March 2024 she was featured in United University Professionals SUNY Geneseo Chapter's Spotlight for her professional achievements.
Dr. Golec is the piano instructor at SUNY Geneseo, serves on boards of examiners for Advanced Placement in Music Theory and International Baccalaureate in Music. Golec is the music director at Holy Cross and Our Mother of Sorrows Churches in Rochester, NY.
Dr. Golec is the founder and owner of Golec Music Studio located in Victor, NY. The Studio specializes in music and educational services: piano, voice, music theory, and composition lessons, masterclasses, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exam preparation, college audition preparation, music theater and production audition prep, music competition prep, recordings, transcriptions, performances, weddings, funerals, and corporate events.
Dr. Golec completed her undergraduate education in Poland at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw (piano performance studied under Jerzy Sterczynski) and at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice (composition and music theory under Edward Boguslawski). She completed her graduate studies in piano performance at Eastman School of Music under Professor Rebecca Penneys (MM and DMA).
Golec started composing at age 13, but the official recognition for her as a composer came three years later when she received an award for “Fantazja Polska” for piano and cello at the “Patri Patriae” All-Polish Composers Competition for a piece dedicated to Pope John Paul II. “Fantazja Polska” premiered at Ars Cameralis Silesiae Superioris Festival in 1997 (Katowice, Poland) by Beata Golec and Miroslaw Makowski. The score of the piece has been kept in Vatican.
Several of Golec’s compositions have been premiered at the annual Women in Music Festival in Rochester, New York. The list of the performed compositions includes: Four Preludes for piano, "Phobia" for piano, "Forests" for piano, "Toccata" for piano, "Clouds" for marimba and vibraphone, Toccata No. 1 for organ solo, "Minimal Talk" for trumpet and piano,"Ocean" for piano and ‘Falling” for piano.
Golec was the assistant director of Women in Music Festival in the 2011-2012 season.
In October 2006- April 2007 Golec has been chosen the Artist of the Month by the directors of the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition. Golec was the first prize winner of the competition twice- in 2005 and 2006. She was awarded the second prize in 2007.
Her CD album entitled "Beata E. Golec- pianist and composer" consisting of compositions by J. L. Zaimont, A. Part, W. A. Mozart and B. Golec was recorded by Blackdog Media Group at Kilbourn Hall at Eastman School of Music. The record's design has been published in The Big Book of Packaging in 2011. The recording is available on iTunes, Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, CDUniverse.com and many other retailers.
Dr. Golec is an active performer. She debuted at Carnegie Hall in May 2005 and performed there again in 2006. She enjoys performing solo, as well as collaborating with vocalists, instrumentalists, orchestras and choirs. She has performed in a master class and concert settings for
world-renowned musicians such as: Marvin Hamlisch, Alicia de Larrocha, Angela Hewitt, Blanca Uribe, Rebecca Penneys, Yong Hi Moon, Malcolm Bilson, Philip Jenkins, Boaz Sharon, Michael Torke and Judith Lang Zaimont.
Golec performed as such venues as: Carnegie Hall, NYC, Bosendorfer Saal, Vienna, Austria, Women in Music Festival, Rochester, NY, Chautauqua Festival, Chautauqua NY, Lenna Hall, Chautauqua NY, Kilbourn Hall, Rochester, NY, Eastman Theater, Rochester, NY, State University of New York in Geneseo, Genesee Community College, Batavia, NY, Make a Wish Foundation (gala concerts in Rochester and Niagara Falls), Rotary Club (Buffalo, Rochester), Garret Club (Buffalo, NY), Ellicott Square Building, Buffalo NY, Dante Alighieri Society, Buffalo, NY, Women's Club in Jamestown, NY, Villa Maria College, Buffalo, NY, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY, Eastman House, Rochester, NY, Nazareth College, Rochester NY, University of Syracuse, Syracuse, NY, Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music, Warsaw, Poland, K. Szymanowski Academy of Music, Katowice, Poland, Classics on Elmwood Concert Series, Buffalo, NY, Rowan University, NJ, Temple University, PA, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY, Town Hall in San Sebastian, Spain, Piano Festival and Masterclasses, Prague, Czech Republic, Ars Cameralis Silesiae Superioris, Katowice, Poland, Polish National Philharmonics, Warsaw, Poland, Silesian Philharmonics, Katowice, Poland, Chopin’s Manor House in Duszniki Zdroj, Poland, Lazienki Krolewskie in Warsaw, Poland and Czech Institute in Warsaw, Poland.
More info at www.beatagolec.com
Classes
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MUSC 110: Basic Musicianship
An introduction to reading and writing musical notation, identifying elementary musical patterns by ear, and performing basic rhythms, melodies and chords through singing and piano playing.
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MUSC 139: Piano I
This is a beginning course in piano aimed at providing students that have had little or no previous training in piano with basic skills in playing the piano. Foundational aspects of keyboard technique are built through the study of technical exercises and through elementary repertoire. Included is the reinforcement of fundamental skills in understanding and interpreting musical notation in an applied setting. This course will also reinforce music theoretical concepts presented in MUSC 189, and it will build a strong foundation of keyboard skills for the purposes of melody harmonization, improvisation, transposition, and sight reading. This course is offered in a class setting.
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MUSC 140: Piano II
This course is a continuation of MUSC 139, designed for students in their second semester of study, or for those who have had previous piano instruction at a basic level. It will build on the development of piano skills through appropriate technical exercises and repertoire. This course will also reinforce music theoretical concepts presented in MUSC 256, continuing to build skills in melody harmonization, improvisation, transposition, and sight reading. This course is offered in a class setting.
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MUSC 182: Musicianship I for Musc Thea
This course is designed for musical theatre students to develop written musicianship and practical sight-singing/ear training skills, and a heightened musical awareness of self and others. The course will focus on parameters of rhythm-to develop a strong sense of pulse, rhythmic underpinning, clear subdivisions-and pitch-to develop inner hearing and pitch memory-and to maintain a certain relaxed focus in all written and performed solo and ensemble work.
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MUSC 240: Piano
A continuation of MUSC 140.
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MUSC 340: Piano
A continuation of MUSC 240.
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MUSC 350: Piano for Performance Option
A continuation of MUSC 250.
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MUSC 450: Piano for the Performance Opt
A continuation of MUSC 350.