Henry Doktorski

Henry Doktorski (b. January 30, 1956) is internationally known as a concert accordionist, although he also works as a church organist, pianist, studio musician, composer, conductor, author, educator, and chess instructor. He is a former resident of the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna Community in Limestone, West Virginia, where he lived from 1978 until 1994, and is currently completing a book on the history of the community. Since 1994 he has lived in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania environs working primarily as a classical accordionist, church organist, and more recently as an eBay seller.

Early Life

Henry Doktorski III was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to parents Henry A. Doktorski and Theresa Maria Czartowicz and grew up in East Brunswick. At the age of seven he began studying accordion and early on was considered a prodigy. In elementary school he played waltzes, polkas, and standards, and in high school he played the accordion in a rock band, but quickly decided the instrument was not "stylistically correct" for that electric genre of music, and so he abandoned the accordion for a Farfisa electronic organ. (See "Band Plays At Center," Suburban Weekly West, Sept. 15, 1971, p. 7)

On June 7, 1971, he was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (Troop 28 in East Brunswick), and received a Good Citizen Award from The American Legion.

Discovering Classical Music

At Saint Peters High School in New Brunswick, influenced by the school's music director Edward Krogstad, Doktorski discovered classical music and his life's direction changed. He began studying classical piano at the age of 16 and became proficient enough to win a scholarship as a piano major at Park College in Parkville, Missouri (near North Kansas City). There Doktorski studied piano with Robert C. Anderson, acted in and served as music director for several musicals (Good Woman of Setzuan, Godspell, Scarpino Bambino, Damn Yankees, and Jacques Brel), sang as a chorus member with the Kansas City Lyric Opera and the Independence Missouri Messiah Choir, and performed piano, harpsichord and celesta with the Northland Symphony Orchestra. (See "Doktorski: A Man and His Music," The Park Stylus, April 14, 1978)

He was elected to Who's Who Among Students at American Universities and Colleges from 1976-1978, and was nominated a 1977 Harvest Festival King by the student body. (See "1977 Harvest Festival King and Queen Candidates," The Park Stylus, October 21, 1977) Doktorski graduated Summa Cum Laude from Park College in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Music Performance and Music Education.

Life with the Hare Krishnas

In August 1978, hardly three months after finishing college, Doktorski's life changed dramatically when he joined the Hare Krishna movement at the rural New Vrindaban Community in Marshall County, West Virginia. He explained that he was unhappy with his material life, and wanted to develop his spiritual life: "In college, I discovered music; the answer to my search for happiness. . . . But I was miserable. . . . If I wanted to compose, conduct and perform music which would awaken suffering humanity to the platform of love of God, first I would have to become a pure devotee. Only then would my talent have any value." (See "Prelude to Perfection," Brijabasi Spirit, February 1982)

Doktorski began following the principles and practices of the ancient practice of Gaudiya-Vaishnavism as delineated by the late Founder-Acharya of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), accepted diksha initiation on Gaura Purnima (March 13, 1979) from the ISKCON guru Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada (b. 1937), and was awarded the Sanskrit name "Hrishikesh dasa" ("Servant of Krishna, who is master of the senses").

Doktorski served the New Vrindaban Community in various capacities. He helped build Prabhupada's Palace of Gold and briefly taught at the grade school (gurukula). He served for several months as the president of the Pittsburgh ISKCON temple during January-March 1980, and then raised funds for the community on full-time traveling sankirtan as a party leader nearly six years. He was instrumental in revolutionizing the "pick" by introducing and developing the "citation line" (he once got sports announcer Howard Cosell to give him a $5.00 donation by flattering Cosell's wife at the Kentucky Derby) and became New Vrindaban's top men's collector. One year he collected $150,000 for the community by getting $5 donations in parking lots and shopping malls throughout the United States. In 1985 he helped establish the first office for the publication and distribution for Bhaktipada's books, and traveled to India four times to represent New Vrindaban, including the 1986 quint-centennial Mayapura Festival. In June 1986 on the order of his guru he reluctantly accepted an arranged marriage with a 20-year-old Indian woman; the daughter of one of Bhaktipada's most influential Bombay disciples, and had two children with her.

Later he served as the Minister of Music (principal organist, choirmaster, orchestra director and composer-in-residence) during the "City of God" era from 1986 until 1993. He composed music and performed for the three daily temple services (5 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m.) During this time, at the request of his guru, he picked up his accordion again after many years, and began playing it during the evening services. The accordion was a hit and several monks asked him to teach them how to play. (See article by Debbi Neer, "Master Musician Shares Talent," Wheeling Intelligencer, March 19, 1990)

He formed and directed an accordion orchestra which made their debut performance at the Wheeling City of Lights parade (See "Accordion Ensemble at Lights Fest," Wheeling News Register, November 12, 1989). This accordion ensemble won trophies at the American Accordion Musicological Society convention (King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, March 1990), the American Accordionists Association convention (Washington D.C., July 1990), and the Accordion Teacher's Guild 50th Anniversary Celebration (Kansas City, Missouri, August 1990). (See "Accordionists Win First Prize," Moundsville Daily Echo, August 24, 1990)

In October 1993, Doktorski abandoned his service at the New Vrindaban Community when he became convinced that his guru had been having secret sexual relations with boys and young men. Doktorski participated in the grassroots movement which questioned Bhaktipada's qualifications for leadership, and eventually recommended returning New Vrindaban to the temple worship style as advocated by the ISKCON founder and acharya, Shrila Prabhupada. Doktorski is currently writing a history of the New Vrindaban Community. (See article by Rochford, Burke E. Jr. and Kendra Bailey "Almost Heaven: Leadership, Decline and the Transformation of New Vrindaban" in Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions Vol. 9 nr. 3 February 2006)

After rejecting the authority of his so-called spiritual master, Doktorski's marriage lost its foundation, and so he left the community in April 1994, moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and filed for divorce. In Pittsburgh he was awarded a Graduate Assistantship at Duquesne University and received a Master of Music degree with a major in composition in 1997.

Concert Accordionist Career

After moving to Pittsburgh, Doktorski attempted to capitalize on his classical accordion expertise, with some success. Between 1997 and 2007 he performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra forty times (on accordion, piano, harpsichord, organ and celesta) and appeared as guest accordionist with the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the New Philharmonic Orchestra (Glen Ellyn, Illinois), the Northwest Indiana Symphony (Merrillville, Indiana), the Loudoun County Symphony (Leesburg, Virginia), the Butler County Symphony (Pennsylvania), the Wartburg Community Symphony (Waverly, Iowa), the McKeesport Symphony (Pennsylvania), the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, the Duquesne University Contemporary Ensemble, the River City Brass Band (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Pittsburgh's Civic Light Opera Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble.

Doktorski currently serves as Instructor of Accordion on the faculty of The City Music Center at Duquesne University, (see http://www.cmcpgh.org/faculty.cfm) and he served for two seasons as Instructor of Accordion at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. (See article by Debbie Carter, "Accordion fans enjoy unique musical niche," Fairbanks Daily News Miner, July 21, 2005)

In 1997, Doktorski founded The Classical Free-Reed, Inc.--a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the accordion and classical music. (See http://www.ksanti.net/free-reed/) He has presented concerts and workshops at national and regional accordion conventions including the Coupe Mondiale (World Cup) for accordionists during August 2007 in Alexandria, Virginia. He has performed in Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Fairbanks, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New York City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Waverly, Iowa.

Doktorski has recorded six compact discs in which he is featured as accordion soloist: Ave Maria: Hymns to Mary (solo album), Celebrated Polkas by Pietro Deiro (solo album), Vaudeville Accordion Classics (solo album), Classical Accordion Recital (solo album), Music by George Gershwin with the Duquesne Chamber Players, and A Classical Christmas with the Pittsburgh Chamber Orchestra.

The Washington Post said Doktorski's A Classical Christmas was "the most interesting instrumental collection of Christmas music this year." (See review by Joseph McLellan, from Washington Post, December 12, 1993)

Gramophone Magazine spoke highly of his two-disc album of historic vaudeville accordion music: "It takes only a few tracks -- impeccably performed by Henry Doktorski and, just as importantly, superbly engineered to Bridge's standards -- to show the visceral appeal to audiences of its day." (See review by Ken Smith, "Music by Mae West's husband? Yes, really." Gramophone, Volume 81, Number 978, April 2004)

As an author, Doktorski has had articles and letters printed in diverse publications ranging from the scholarly journal Music Theory -- Explorations and Applications to Rolling Stone; from the new-age journal Uzubuh to the Danish accordion magazine Harmonikacentret; from The Pittsburgh Catholic to Playboy. He has written over one hundred thirty reviews as well as dozens of articles which can be read on The Classical Free-Reed, Inc. website. His pioneering research work, The Classical Squeezebox -- A Short History of the Accordion in Classical Music was published by the British international journal Musical Performance. His most recent work, The Brothers Deiro and Their Accordions, is the first published biography of those two early accordion pioneers.

Mr. Doktorski is a member of the advisory and editorial board for The Center for the Study of Free-Reed Instruments at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, and Pi Kappa Lambda, the academic honor society in the field of music.

Today Doktorski serves as organist for Grace Lutheran Church in Rochester, Pennsylvania, conductor for the Alcoa Singers, and also as a chess instructor and tournament director for Silver Knights Chess. (See http://www.silverknightschess.com/component/option,com_contact/task,view/contact_id,8/Itemid,32/) His "Complete Works of Guido Deiro Printed Music Anthology" is scheduled to by published by Mel Bay sometime in 2008. Doktorski married Mary Kay Welter in June 2001; both are members of Saint Columbkille Roman Catholic Church in Imperial, Pennsylvania. His favorite hobby is scuba diving.

External Links

http://henrydoktorski.com

http://stores.ebay.com/The-Classical-Free-Reed-Inc

http://janpress.freeservers.com/biogHD.htm

http://www.ksanti.net/free-reed

http://www.accordionusa.com/fe_05_05.htm

http://www.bridgerecords.com/pages/catalog/9138.htm

http://www.accordionworld.org/Doktorski%20Review%20for%20web,PDF.pdf

http://www.accordionusa.com/fe_02_05.htm

http://www.silverknightschess.com/component/option,com_contact/task,view/contact_id,8/Itemid,10/

http://www.archeophone.com/product_info.php?products_id=87

http://mla.sam.2007.googlepages.com/doktorski_brothers.doc

http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=4178

http://post-trib.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=70390

http://chant.freeservers.com/

http://www.cmcpgh.org/faculty.cfm

http://funeralchoir.freeservers.com/