Biography

 

Ioanna Solomonidou

Concert Organist

 

Ioanna Solomonidou was born into a musical family in Almaty (Republic of Kazakhstan) in 1987.In 1990 the family moved to Thessaloniki in Greece where Ioanna attended the local "Modern Conservatory" in parallel to her studies (1994 – 2005). During the same period she participated in various master classes with P. Vladigerov, R. Bekker, Itto, V. Tsatsava and others. In February 2005 she successfully completed school and at the same time achieved her first degree in piano and harmony under the tutelage of T. Mourtzou and N. Solomonidis respectively.

 

Shortly after graduating High school she was accepted at the School of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, but interrupted her studies to pursue a career in music.

 

Between 2005 and 2009 she continued her studies at the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory in Almaty of Kazakhstan where she achieved her bachelor’s degree in piano, accompaniment, chamber music performance and organ. Amongst her teachers were G. Kadyrbekova (piano teacher), S. Ungarova (piano accompaniment teacher), G. Bakieva (chamber music performance teacher) and G. Nesipbaev (organ teacher). In 2009 after attaining her Bachelor’s Diploma with Distinction she declined offers to pursue a teaching career at the Conservatory and decided to continue her journey in the world of organ music by studying the “King of instruments” at postgraduate level. In 2011 she successfully completed a “Master of Art’s  Criticism / Instrumental Performance” degree with Honors at the same Conservatory by G. Nesipbaev (organ teacher).

 

Her passion for organ music led her to Germany, a country known for it’s enormous organ tradition, where she studied from 2011 at the State Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart in the class of the renowned Prof. Dr. L. Lohmann. The outcome of these studies was a Master’s degree in Organ Performance, “Master of Music”, which she achieved in 2013. Since  then Ioanna continued her Konzertexamen (soloist class) in organ under the guidance of the same Professor, that she completed with Honors in April 2016.

 

Although she chose a career in organ, Ioanna scored numerous successes as a pianist. In many occasions she was invited to perform with an orchestra. Her first experience was in 1996 where she was selected to perform a concert of W.A. Mozart with the Student Orchestra of the Modern Conservatory of Thessaloniki in the Ceremony Hall of Aristotle University after winning a competition. As a pianist, Ioanna also managed to achieve numerous awards. In 1997 she received the Grand-Prix in the XI national competition for young pianists in Athens. In 1999 she won the Third Prize at the XXII international piano competition in Agropoli, Italy. A year later she took part at the first international Music Festival for young musicians in  Graz, Austria. Finally in 2006 she was awarded with the First Prize at the I international Chamber Music Competition in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

 

Ioanna's career as an organist was even more successful and active. Amongst others she participated in festivals and master classes and received plentiful prizes at many international competitions. In 2010 she participated at the international Organ Music Festival “Spring City” in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The same year she attended the master classes “Iuniores Priores Organorium Seinensis” in Poland and Lithuania with professors J. Serafin, J. Gembalski and G. Gnann.

 

In September 2011 she won the Special Prize “Hope, Faith, Love” at the VII international M.Tariverdiev organ competition in Kaliningrad, Russia. One year later she was awarded the Grand-Prix as well as the Prize for the best interpretation of J.P. Sweelinck’s piece at the VIII international J.P. Sweelinck organ competition in Gdansk, Poland. There she got her first orchestra experience as an organist performing with the Polska Filharmonia Baltycka  orchestra. In June 2014 she was awarded the Third Prize at the international organ competition “Pipeworks Festival” in Dublin, Ireland, where she performed with the Belfast Ulster orchestra under the direction of Paul Brough. One month later and after a competition Ioanna wins the opportunity to take part at the “Rising Stars” Project. This achievement gave her the grand chance to play with numerous orchestras all around Europe. In March 2015 she accompanied the Student Orchestra of the University of Music and performing Arts under the Graziella Contratto’s direction in Graz, Austria. In September 2015 she received a Diploma as a finalist at the VII International M. Ciurlionis Organ Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania. In June 2016 she performed with the Stuttgarter Philarmoniker orchestra headed by Johahnes Klumpp.

 

At the moment she is an active solo and ensemble artist participating in numerous organ concerts in many countries around the world. She has a wide repertoire which covers different styles and epochs from early Baroque to modern organ music. Her real passion however, is the German romantic organ music including Mendelssohn, Reger, Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, Reubke etc. She has performed in Greece, Kazakhstan, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Russia, England, Poland, Lithuania etc.

 

She is a member of the ensemble of contemporary music “Ensemble Zeitlose Musik” since 2013 and member of the “Barock Music” ensemble (Soprano, Flute, Oboe and Organ) since 2015. In addition to that since 2015 Ioanna was the main organist in the Evangelist Church Amanduskirche in Beihingen, Freiberg am Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Since Juni 2017 till Juni 2018 she was the main organist in the Evangelist Church Dionysiuskirche in Schmiden-Fellbach. 

 

Ioanna speaks fluently four languages (Greek, Russian, German and English) that gives her the unique opportunity to interact and effortlessly share ideas and influences with artists and performers all around the world. She is a diverse and passionate artist living and breathing music, looking forward to new exciting collaborations that will enable her to share her music vision.

 

Since Juni 2018 till today Ioanna is the main organist and the organ teacher in the Evangelist Church Klosterkiche in Denkendorf. In addition to that she is the piano teacher at the municipal music school in Heilbronn. 

 

 

Ioanna, her partner and their daughter live in Stuttgart.