Magdalena Kowalska, second violin

When did you join the National Symphony Orchestra?

2006

Where did you study?

Poland

What do you most enjoy about being in the NSO?

Working with talented musicians.

Who is your favourite composer?

My favourites are Mahler’s symphonies, the greatest creations, extraordinarily rich, both orchestrally and thematically, especially the Fifth. It is his most famous because of its fourth movement, an Adagietto scored only for strings and harp. A beautiful love letter to his wife, Alma. 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not playing with the orchestra?

In my free time I like travelling, being active, going to the gym and meeting with friends. 

What was the last book/podcast/TV series you really loved?

I enjoyed watching Maestro on Netflix, starring Bradley Cooper as West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein. It is all about the great loves of his life: music and his wife.