Katarzyna Maria Sokol is a native of Poland. Known as Kasia (a nickname for Catherine in Polish), she arrived in Durango on Aug. 15, 2007. Since then, she’s completed a doctorate and was named assistant professor of music at Fort Lewis College – plus a whole lot more.

In addition to teaching at the Fort, Sokol is concertmaster of the San Juan Symphony. She’s also active in chamber music and solo concertizing. She gave two big solo recitals this fall. The next performance of The Red Shoe Piano Trio (with Sokol on violin, Katherine Jetter on cello and Lisa Campi on piano) will be at 3 p.m. Sun., Feb. 22, in Roshong Recital Hall. In mid-May,

Sokol will inaugurate a Durango Chamber Music Festival at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. In the summer, when not busy with Music in the Mountains, she will return to her hometown, Lublin, Poland, to perform a solo recital.

Sokol came to the United States as a teen-ager intent on deepening her violin studies. In 1994 she studied at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She completed high school and followed up with undergraduate studies in violin performance at Western Michigan University. Bachelor’s degree in hand, she went on to earn a master’s in violin and orchestral studies from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, she played for two years in the Chicago Civic Orchestra as well as many chamber groups. Last spring she complet

ed her doctorate at Indiana University in violin performance with a minor in string pedagogy and music history.

Meanwhile, Sokol is creating any number of new musical ventures here in Durango. This week, she’s spearheaded the musical offerings for the opening events of the new Durango Public Library. She will bring her Violin Virtuosi to the grand opening on Friday evening, Dec. 5. And she’s creating a new course in chamber music at the college this spring.

“For the first time,” Sokol said, “We’ll have college students and several advanced players from high schools who will take the class for college credit. I want to give them pieces that will definitely challenge everyone.”

– Judith Reynolds