Magdalena Tomsinska

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Magdalena Tomsinska was born in the city of Bydgoszcz, Poland, where she graduated from the Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor in Music. Later she graduated from Nowowiejski University in Bydgoszcz, specializing in classical guitar under Andrzej Wendland. After receiving her Master of Music degree she studied lute at the Penderecki University in Cracow with Antoni Pilch. She has performed throughout Poland on both instruments. She moved to Canada in 1992, where she now plays professionally and teaches guitar in the Beckett School of Music in Kitchener. Since 1996 Magdalena has been a member of the early music consort Greensleaves. In the year 2000 Greensleaves recorded their first CD with popular repertoire from the 14th to 18th centuries and in 2004 a second CD of Christmas carols. From 1999 to 2005 she was conductor of the choir at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. In 2000 and 2002 the choir won first prize at the Festival of Religious Songs in Mississauga. In 1996, at the same festival, Magdalena won 1st prize and Grand Prix as a soloist. She recorded Polish children’s songs in 1997, playing guitar and singing with children from the Polish School in Kitchener. She has participated in the International Guitar Festival in Volos, Greece, the Lute Seminar in Cleveland, Ohio, and other courses, having taken lessons with Paul O’Dette, Hopkinson Smith, Jorge Morel, Jorge Cardoso and Costas Cotsiolis. She has performed with various groups including the Baroque Ensemble at Wilfrid Laurier, Tactus Vocal Ensemble, Nota Bene Period Orchestra, and Toronto Continuo Collective along with soloists such as Stephanie Kramer and Jennifer Enns-Modolo. Recently, after receiving a grant from the WaterlooArts Fund and the Polish Consulate in Toronto, she is preparing another CD with Greensleaves featuring Polish music from a XVII century manuscript. The CD will be released in 2009