Louise Szkodzinski, BVM: A Lifetime of Music

Louise Szkodzinski, BVM: A Lifetime of Music
by Amy Golm, BVM

Concert pianist, teacher, choir director, coach only begin to describe the life work of Louise Szkodzinski, BVM (Christiane). Her musical career has spanned decades and has brought knowledge and enjoyment to thousands.

Louise’s lifetime in music began in 1927 with her first piano lessons when she was just a second grader. She continued her study with Virginia Gaume, BVM (Matilde) while a student at St. Mary’s High School in Chicago. Granted a full tuition scholarship in piano to Mundelein College, Louise developed her musical skills under the instruction of BVMs Rafael Bird and Anna Ruth Bethke. But this was only the beginning.

Her study continued when again she was awarded a scholarship to Chicago Musical College, now Roosevelt University, to study with Rudolph Ganz. Here she earned her Masters in Music degree preparing her to teach and to perform.

Struggling with devoting her life to music or to God, Louise entered the Sisters of Charity, BVM in 1947 on the heels of completing her Masters degree. The struggle resolved as she was assigned to spend the next ten years teaching piano, music theory and liturgical music to postulants and novices at Mt. Carmel and students at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa.

She was then assigned to the music department at Mundelein College, Chicago where she soon became department chairperson and gained renown as a concert pianist. During her time at Mundelein, Louise completed a Doctor of Music degree at Indiana University, where she studied with internationally celebrated Hungarian pianist Gyorgy Sebok.

“He transformed my thinking about piano playing and taught that performers should know how they want to make music, with a clear musical image. All movements should coincide with the musical idea, so the music and technique are one.”

From 1938–1997, Louise gave over 175 public performances throughout the Midwest and in Poland. “It just happened gradually…. Because I taught at the college level for 39 years, I felt that I had to continue learning new piano repertoire. I teach much better those masterpieces that I myself have performed.” Her performance literature included works by Chopin, Beethoven, Couperin, Albeniz and Messiaen among many others.

“Perhaps what is most remarkable is that about 50 of my piano recitals were given at a time when it was unusual for a nun to perform in public. Because I was encouraged by both the academic dean at Mundelein College and my religious superiors, I gave these performances while maintaining a full teaching load and participating fully in all of the activities proper to religious life at that time.”

She continues, “I was one of the pioneer performers in the United States of piano music by the avant-garde contemporary French composer, Olivier Messiaen. I publicized my availability for the lecture-recital, ‘Contemplative Music of Olivier Messiaen.’ This lecture helped the listener to understand the music of Messiaen who is a man of deep faith and has sought ‘to express a language of mystic love, powerful, tender and sometimes brutal.’”

Highlights of Louise’s career were an appearance in 1966 on WGN-TV’s Artist’s Showcase where she performed Beethoven’s Concerto in C Minor with the WGN Orchestra and an appearance the following year on ABC-TV in which she discussed and performed the music of Messiaen.

In 1976 she joined the Clarke College chorus for a music festival in Krakow, Poland. While there, she lectured at the Krakow Conservatory of Music and gave many solo performances of Chopin and American composers.

In 1981, a recording of Louise’s performance of Schubert’s Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 22 was selected by a committee to be played during the Leadership Conference of Women Religious’ 25th Anniversary Celebration.

Even in retirement, however, Louise continues her life work. “Piano teaching has always been a favorite activity. Now that we have a music room, I teach Suzuki piano to children and adults. I also coach two pianists who are already accomplished musicians. The latter experience encourages me to continue studying music technique and repertoire in light of their needs. I can honestly say that I am still learning how to teach and I continue to be stimulated.”

About the author: Amy Golm, BVM is liturgist in campus ministry at Clarke College in Dubuque, and a graduate student. She is also on the Communications Advisory Committee.