Review: Iona Ilie releases On Cloud Ten
Album title: On Cloud Ten
Composer: Beethoven Chopin Ilie
Performer: Ioana Ilie, Pianist
Performance: 5/5 stars Recording: 4/5 stars
Recorded at Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, in Germany Bavaria – in the concert hall Reitstadel, this recital reveals the multifaceted artistry of Ioana Ilie at its most heart-warming. The Beethoven Sonata is irresistibly exuberant in its opening, as well as it’s Scherzo and light-footed finale, Ilie brings poetry to the fragmentary cross-handed phrases.
A sense of delight permeates her performance of the Chopin Ballade; she digs into the scrunchy textures and lets the composer’s harmonies fizz and gleam throughout this rhythm-driven yet never hurried interpretation.
‘’The Clouds’’ amazing compositions of Ilie’s -bring us tears and makes us dreaming. Beautifully performed, wonderful harmonies and excellent sound. Ilie’s technique and talent are more than obvious. She plays wonderfully, allowing her music fluidity and space; Ilie proves a match for technique and spirit.
Her performance is cool and pure, the Ballade refulgent with drama. Sound quality is very good, sound engineer was the amazing Markus Heiland, from Tritonus.de, which makes the recital sound excellent! It’s a concert to treasure, full of Ilie’s unquenchable spirit. An excellent album to buy and listen!
About Ioana Ilie
Described as a “master of improvisation” by the Badische Zeitung (Baden Newspaper), Ioana Ilie mesmerises every audience with her incredible talent in classical improvisation. She has performed in Europe, the United States as well as Asia, has spent one year in England thanks to the “C. Silvestri Scholarship” she won in 2005 and was awarded another 3-year scholarship by the Notenstein La Roche Private Bank in 2014.
The young Romanian is not just a tireless improviser, but also a very in demand composer: the world premiere of her Legend for String Quintet was premiered by the internationally renowned „Phoenix“ Ensemble and their conductor, Jürg Henneberger in Switzerland and she has performed most of her own piano works throughout Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Great Britain and the United States. Her latest work for piano solo Pisces has been published in 2017 by the CCC Music Company in Colorado Springs, United States of America.
Ioana Ilie has taught keyboard improvisation at the Music Academy Trossingen between 2011-2015 and since 2015 she has been teaching at the Basel Music Academy. Apart from her regular international collaborations with numerous conductors and orchestras, Ioana dedicates herself with a lot of enthusiasm to the repertoire of Lied and chamber music.