She learnt to play violin in Warsaw Conservatory under the supervision of Józef Jarzębski and later under Otakar Sevčik in Prague Conservatory and George Enescu in Paris. Between 1927 and the outbreak of World War Two, she developed her virtuoso career in Poland and other European cities. In her repertoire, a special place was always devoted to Polish violin music, Karol Szymanowski (who accompanied the artist on piano in Bologna in 1933) in particular.
Umińska spent the occupation in Warsaw, still musically active as a soloist and playing in a string quartet together with the violinist and composer Roman Padlewski (who died in the Warsaw Uprising) and the cellist Kazimierz Wiłkomirski.
After the war, she still performed in public, distinguished from others by her pristine technique as well as deeper artistic value. She was highly praised for her diversified stylistic sonatas for two violins performed in a duet with Irena Dubiska.
She started her pedagogical career at the Academy of Music in Kraków, where she led the violin department. She educated such great musicians as Kaja Danczowska, Teresa Głąbówna, Jadwiga Kaliszewska, Wiesław Kwaśny, and Karol Teutsch. In the years 1964-1966 she was the rector of the academy. She was a juror at international cello and lutherie competitions on multiple occasions, for instance, the Henryk Wieniawski Competition and violin, alto, cello and contrabass contests at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań.
One of Umińska’s most important contributions to broadening the violin repertoire and improving the quality of education was her studies of music, dedicated for the most part to string instruments.
Source: www.polmic.pl
Published on May 2008, translated by AW, November 2016
