HELENA MODJESKA ART AND CULTURE CLUB
HELENA MODJESKA ART & CULTURE CLUB
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2022-2024
Dr. Maja Trochimczyk, President
Katarzyna Smiechowicz, Vice President
Beata Czajkowska, Secretary
Anna Sadowska, Treasurer
MAJA TROCHIMCZYK, Ph.D. - PRESIDENT
Dr. Maja
Trochimczyk is an outstanding musicologist, author and editor of eight books on
Polish music and dance (Routledge, Columbia University Press, Moonrise Press), as
well as a publisher of books on Polish history and culture, and volumes of
poetry through her small publishing house, Moonrise Press (from 2008 the press
issued 20 books). As a poet, she published five volumes of poetry and edited four
anthologies. As a music historian, Dr. Trochimczyk
published 27 chapters in academic books
(Oxford UP, Indiana UP, Cambridge Scholars,
etc.) and 27 peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals on Chopin,
Szymanowska, Paderewski, Bacewicz, Lutosławski, Górecki and others. She
presented her research at 90 scientific
conferences in Europe and America. For scientific, creative and promotional
contributions to Polish culture, she received many awards and medals from
Polish, American, and Canadian government and other organizations.
She is also
a promoter of knowledge about Polish culture in the USA. She served the
President of the Modjeska Club in 2010-2012,
and since 2018. During that time, she prepared over 50 meetings and events,
organized the 40th and 50th anniversaries of the Club, introduced
the Helena Modjeska Prize for outstanding Polish actors, began working with
many American institutions, and nominated for medals "for the promotion of
Polish culture abroad" 19 former members of the Club Board. A former secretary of the board of the Polish American
Historical Associations, Dr. Trochimczyk is a member of the Polish Institute of
Arts and Sciences in America and the American Musicology Society. In 1996-2004
she led the Polish Music Center at USC. Dr. Trochimczyk concurrently serves as
President of the California State Poetry Society (since 2019), founder and president
of Moonrise Press (since 2008), and Senior Director of Planning and Development
for Phoenix House California (since 2007). Since 2010 she has been managing
several blogs that together reached over 1.2 million readers: Poetry Laurels,
Chopin with Cherries, Modjeska Club, Village Poets, and others.
Recent Interviews
https://canvasrebel.com/meet-maja-trochimczyk/
KATARZYNA SMIECHOWICZ, VICEPRESIDENT
KATARZYNA A. SMIECHOWICZ sometimes acting as Kasia A. Leconte is a Polish actress who has been working in Poland and the USA. Katarzyna started her artistic career as a teenager studying acting with many excellent teachers. Initially, she was involved in ballet and theater; over time film and television have become the closest to her heart. Her passion for ballet and poetry turned to acting when a respected Polish actor, Wirgiliusz Gryn, discovered her acting talent and convinced her to pursue acting as a profession.
Residing in Los Angeles since 2000, she studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and at the Margie Haber Studio. Throughout her career, she has appeared in over 30 feature films and television series having worked with such directors as Steven Spielberg, Krzysztof Krauze, Jacek Bromski, Tomasz Konecki, Andrzej Saramonowicz, and Olaf Lubaszenko.
Selected recent film roles include:
• 2020 -“BEZ SKRUPULOW”, dir. Jacek Bromski, TV series (Wanda)
• 2019- “SOLID GOLD”, dir. Jacek Bromski, Film (Wanda Szulc)
• 2018- “DR. SUGAR”, dir. Paul Saleba - Film (k.m.) (Boo Boo)
• 2015 - “ANATOMIA ZŁA”, dir. Jacek Bromski, Film
• 2015 - “BILET NA KSIĘŻYC”, dir. Jacek Bromski, Film (Donata KRUGER)
• 2012 - “PARADOKS”, dir. Borys Lankosz, TV series
• 2011 - “WYGRANY”, dir. Wieslaw Saniewski, Film
• 2009 - “U PANA BOGA ZA MIEDZĄ” dir. Jacek Bromski, Film (Ludmiła Niedbałko)
• 2009 - “U PANA BOGA W OGRODKU", dir. Jacek Bromski, Serial TV (Ludmiła Niedbałko
Beyond film and television, she has portrayed many great parts on stage, including Katharina in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", and Roza in Juliusz Slowacki's "Lilla Weneda." Kasia's U.S. theater debut was in the leading role of Carrie in "Cafe Hollywood." In addition to acting in many critically acclaimed roles, Smiechowicz has written scripts and worked as a voice-over actor. She is the President of the Film and Television Studio Kasia Films, through which she aims to create international productions. She is also known for her charity work for the sick and those in need. Katarzyna constantly supports and promotes Polish culture in the USA. With a home on both continents, but a husband in the U.S., she spends most of the time in Los Angeles, but works both in Europe and the States. Her husband Dominik J. Leconte is an executive at Sony Pictures. On July 3rd 2010 Kasia and Dominik welcomed their identical twin boys, Antoni and Fabian at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The multi-talented 10-year-old sons are gaining recognition as child actors and models.
LINKS TO SELECTED FILMS
BEATA CZAJKOWSKA, SECRETARY
Founder, President, Managing Director. Beata's skill-set is as vast as her interests. She is a strong and charismatic woman, with a sharp and analytic mind but with a deep appreciation for art. With over 25 years of experience in artistic and corporate management, she feels and operates equally well in both worlds. From the very beginning Beata's education focused on both the artistic and business aspects. Born in Poland, in a beautiful city of Wroclaw, she learned piano, acting and managing, visited and performed at Theaters, traveled all over the world and learned everything and anything she could get her hands on.
She worked in independent productions, as an impresario, a tutor, an accompanist, an Insurance Broker, a Manager in her own travel agency, an adviser and a freelancer. She worked at and for Opera Wroclaw and Grand Theater in Warsaw, TVP Wroclaw (a TV station) and Radio Station. She is the co-founder and a Managing Director of EWELINEB, and is the owner of a consulting company EBC- COSULTINGGROUP which specializes in: fashion, art, opera, business.
ANNA SADOWSKA, TREASURER
Anna Sadowska has lived in the US for 30 years, 20 of them in Southern California. She graduated from CLC in Chicago earning an Associate Degree in Finance. Later, Anna and her identical twin sister moved to Poland and attended Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Upon return, Anna started her professional career in banking. For many years she worked for mega lenders such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo eventually earning underwriting and lending authority. In 2001 she visited Southern California and fell in love with the region. She moved immediately and pursued her further career in Los Angeles in the mortgage and real estate industry.
She is involved with many human services, mainly focusing and volunteering at Midnight Mission in Los Angeles, an organization that helps with self-care, drug addition and homelessness. Anna strongly believes in living by certain principals to always help others. In addition, she is a professional athlete with medals in triathlons, swimming and running. She loves skiing, scuba diving, hiking and yoga. Anna also rides a Harley and loves to travel around the world with her sister.
SYL VES, DIRECTOR TO JUNE 2023
Sylvia Ves is Business Management (University of London BA and MSc) & Government Administration graduate at Wharton and University of Pennsylvania an Ivy League School (post Master Degree). During this program she practiced public policies at the EC Delegation to the United Nations in NYC and the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC. Sylvia speaks Polish, English and Spanish, as well as Russian, Catalan and Italian, currently learning French and Arabic.
She worked as a Manager of International translations for Mattel Inc., in El Segundo and WhatsApp in Silicon Valley.Her unique international background and expertise in Business Management and Accounting, as well as cross- functional projects and teams with exposure to upper management. Currently, works in Beverly Hills as a CFO for one of the most prestigious Architects in Beverly Hills. She joined the Board of the Modjeska Club in May 2019.
No comments:
Post a Comment