About the musicians

Pianist, Harpist, Vocalist, Composer

Kasia Szczech-Dlugosz is a Chicago based composer, pianist, harpist, organist, and vocalist who is working to take music to a whole new level. Graduating from DePaul University studying Composition under Christopher Jones and Seung-Won Oh, in addition, completing a Master's Degree in Music Education has lead her to experiences allowing her ideas to flourish. 

Her interest in contemporary classical new music, education, and show production has sparked at the Chicago Academy for the Arts where she attended high school. Ensemble Dal Niente guitarist, Jesse Langen, has been her mentor since beginning her high school studies. 

Kasia has been internationally commissioned by ensembles from various locations around the globe. Examples include: DissonArt Ensemble in Greece and Ensemble Dal Niente in Chicago, Illinois. Kasia is also part of a youth Ensemble called Chicago Arts Initiative, directed by Jesse Langen. Chicago Arts Initiative has collaborated with Studio MusikFabrik in Chicago and Darmstadt, Germany in the International New Music Festival. Furthermore, Kasia has attended music festivals and exchange programs such as: SOTA in Singapore, The International Music Festival in Castelnuovo de Garfagnana Italy, School of the Arts Montreal.

Throughout the year Kasia can be found composing works that take one through a variation of sounds that blossom in your imagination. She keeps her roots and traditions by incorporating many Polish Folklore Highlander melodies in her music. Since the age of 6, Kasia has dreamt of forming her own orchestra, composing music, and conducting while simultaneously helping those in need. With this dream, A Magical Keys Christmas Extravaganza was born, creating a non-profit organization. 

Kasia currently resides as the Music Director at St. Albert the Great, runs and teaches her piano, harp, and vocal studio, and is in the process of writing her own music teaching method books, Magical Keys Method, which will be soon available for all students and teachers. 

Violinist, Composer 

Violinist Karen Szczech is a first-generation Polish-American from Chicago, Illinois. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance studying with Dr. Lenora Marya-Anop, a Minor in Psychology while also completing her Suzuki training in Books 1 through 6 with Vera McCoy-Sulentic at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, she continued her musical studies completing a Master’s Degree in Violin Performance from University of Wisconsin-Madison studying under the tutelage of Dr. Dawn Wohn.  In addition, she has studied closely with Dr. Nicholas Hatt, Dr. Kinga Augustyn, and Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier.  Prior to her university studies, Karen graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts studying violin under Rachel Brown and composition under Jesse Langen. 

As a violinist and composer, Karen has premiered and performed works in multiple festivals throughout North America and Europe. Such festivals include: Darmstadt New Music Festival in Darmstadt, Germany; Omaha Under the Radar in Omaha, Nebraska; Ear Taxi Festival; Chicago Trio Workshop in Chicago, Illinois; Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, Nebraska; Emerald Coast Chamber Music Festival in Florida, and Chicago Summer Opera in Chicago, IL. Karen’s pieces have been premiered by the Grammy Award winning ensemble, Eighth BlackBird in May of 2016 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, representing the Kerry James Marshall exhibit. As an ensemble member, she is also the violinist of Chicago Arts Initiative (CAI), directed by Jesse Langen which has collaborated with Studio MusikFabrik at the Darmstadt New Music Festival in Darmstadt, Germany and International New Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois.

Throughout the year, Karen can be found teaching and performing at St. Fabian Church in Bridgeview as the Children’s Music Director, at Chicago Center for Music Education (ChiME), and at Magical Keys. During the summers, Karen holds the position as one of the violin faculty for Summer Music Clinic in Madison, Wisconsin. An active chamber and orchestral musician, Karen regularly performs with chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras in the Midwest.