About Us
At the heart of Apsinthion Artist Management is a passion for nurturing extraordinary pianists. Founded by Graciella Kowalczyk and Joshua Izzard, visionaries and directors of the Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition, Apsinthion is a beacon of excellence in the classical music world.
Our Mission:
We are dedicated to championing pianists who possess not just exceptional talent, but also the dedication and spirit to inspire audiences worldwide. Our mission is to guide our artists to achieve their full potential, ensuring their artistry is heard and appreciated on the world's finest stages.
Our Values:
Meritocracy, Loyalty, Competence, and Excellence define us. At Apsinthion, we pledge to uphold these values in every aspect of our work, ensuring that our artists receive the recognition and opportunities they so richly deserve.
Graciella Kowalczyk
Joshua Izzard
Dr. Graciella Kowalczyk is a French-born, Polish-raised star pianist has appeared in concerts and recitals as a soloist in over fifteen countries. From early appearances personally connected to Chopin at his birthplace, Żelazowa Wola, her performances include the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland; Sergei Rachmaninov Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia; Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria; Bellini Conservatory in Palermo, Italy; Kölner Philharmonic in Köln, Germany; Ed Landreth Auditorium in Fort Worth, TX and further across North and South America and Asia. Her students continue to win prizes and accolades across the United States. She has won top prizes in many competitions all over the world, and was the recipient of awards from the Louis-Spohr Forderverein, Germany; Internationale Stiftung fur Music, Switzerland; Lili Kraus Scholarship, Fort Worth, TX, and Mu Phi Epsilon, International Music Fraternity, Kansas City, MO; Kansas City Musical Club, Kansas City, MO., and received her doctorate in piano performance from the University of Kansas. Dr. Kowalczyk has studied with many of the greatest pianists and musicians of our time including D.Bashkirov, R.Buchbinder, S.Dorenski, J.Feghali, R.Goode, S.Ioudenitch, N.Lugansky, H.Martina, D.Mirska, W.Nabore, P.Nersessian, J.Owings, A.Pisarev, J.Perry, E.Pridonoff, Z.Zohar, and J.Winerock. Recent highlights include cooperation with modern composers including an award-winning recording of fugues and postludes by Canadian-Armenian composer Ashot Ariyan available on the RMN Classical label. She is also the Director of the exclusive Autumn Artist Interactive, an intensive Nashville-area crossover camp for pop and country artists with vocal superstar coach Brett Manning and legendary guitarist Mario DaSilva. Graciella is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition.
Joshua Izzard is an American musician, investor, and technology finance executive. As a pianist, he debuted to critical acclaim in Carnegie Hall before receiving his MA from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and was an international competition prizewinner. He went on to earn an MBA in quantitative finance and accounting from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business where he also taught corporate finance and investments. After leaving music due to a hand injury, he embarked on a career as an M&A investment banker, portfolio manager at a long-short strategy hedge fund, and technology industry finance executive. Joshua is the co-founder and Administrative Director of the Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition.