biography

biography

Ioana was born into a musical family in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Her grandfather was the famous Roma violinist Alexandru Titrus and her uncle was the Principal Double bass Player from the National Opera House. They were the deciding factor in Ioana’s upbringing and future musical career.

“I remember that while growing up most of my memories were somehow connected to music. There was always music played in the house, if not by my grandfather then by my uncle or my auntie, who was then studying piano in school."

The communist regime fell in 1989, when Ioana was 11 years old. Living through the dark times of communism then experiencing the freedom her grandfather could only dream of was a surreal yet wonderful experience.

After finishing 12 years (1984-1996) in music school and high school Ioana went on to study Composition and Orchestral Conducting at “Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, then continued her studies at Trinity College of Music, London, where she received a BA (Hons) First Class Degree in Piano Teaching and Performance in 2002.

While at Trinity Ioana had been actively involved in accompanying singers and instrumentalists in auditions, and concerts. Here Ioana also studied Orchestral and Choral Conducting (with Gregory Rose, Peter Stark and David Vinden) and was awarded the Alan Kirby Choral Conducting Prize in 2001 and the Charles Proctor Conducting Prize in 2002. Ioana has also been involved in conducting and performing works by student composers from Trinity College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Goldsmith College.

Ioana became the principal Guest Conductor with the Millennium Youth Sinfonia and the Vivaldi Concertante between 1999-2003, sustaining many concerts, culminating with the performamce at the Lindbury Studio, Royal Opera House Covent Garden in November 2000. Among other performances there were the “Last Night of the Little Prom” from the Gardens of the Rose in 2000 and 2002, as well as various charity concerts (I.e. Croxley House). Ioana also had the pleasure of assisting maestro Joseph Pilbury in preparing Verdi’s Requiem. The performance took place at the Italian Church, London, on the 27th of January 2001, marking 100 years since Verdi’s death.

In 2006 Ioana became Principal Conductor of the Southwark Clarinet Consort, recently re-named London Clarinet Consort and Principal Guest Conductor with the Blackfriars Sinfonia, sustaining regular concerts throughout London.

Last year Ioana also conducted the North Downs Sinfonia (programme consisting of Bizet’s Carmen Suiter no 1, Weber 2nd Clarinet Concerto and Dvorak Symphony no 9, “From the New World”) and is looking forward to the next collaboration in November 2009.

On other occasions Ioana has conducted the Morley Orchestra in a charity concert and played the Grieg Piano Concerto with the London Medical Orchestra. Ioana has also participated in various Masterclasses for International Conductors in Czech Republic, with the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra and in Munich with Konrad von Abel.