Chair of Rhythmics and Piano Improvisation

The Chair of Rhythmics and Piano Improvisation was founded in 2019. Its activity is the continuation of the activity of the structures which existed before it: Émile Jaques-Dalcroze College (2003-2007), Unit of Education Methods (2007–2013) and Unit of Rhythmics and Piano Improvisation (2013-2019). The Chair conducts academic and artistic activity both within the widely understood music education and the theoretical aspect of the rhythmics method. Its research creates a wide content-related ground for the specialty called Rhythmics. The Chair also conducts research on the history of rhythmics in Poland in collaboration with the Institute of Music and Dance.
One of the main tasks of the Chair is creating and monitoring a modern model of education for the specialty of Rhythmics.

The Chair organises conferences with international and national range. Among the most important academic events are the conferences “Improvisation in the Dalcroze Method” (5 editions since 2011) and “Creativity in Music Education (2019). Our guests were, among others, Maria Apagyi (Hungary) and Mira Daniel (Jaques-Dalcroze Institute in Geneva).

The Chair’s artistic activity is presented annually on the stage of the UMFC Concert Hall as part of the concert entitled “Music in Movement”.
In 2017, Prof. Szabolcs Esztenyi, former member of the Unit of Rhythmics and Piano Improvisaion, was awarded with the title of Honorary Doctor.

Members of the Chair
dr hab. Magdalena Stępień, prof. UMFC - Head of the Chair
ad. dr hab. Anna Ignatowicz-Glińska
ad. dr Agnieszka Widlarz
as. Marta Bogusławska
as. Agata Pankowska