Biography

Ioanna Solomonidou
Concert Organist

Ioanna Solomonidou was born in 1987 into a family of musicians in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In 1990 the whole family moved to Thessaloniki, Greece. There, she attended the “Modern Conservatory” alongside her general schooling until she graduated from high school in 2005. That same year, she completed her first music degree with distinction, majoring in piano with T. Mourtzou and harmony with N. Solomonidis. During this time in Thessaloniki, she took part in various piano masterclasses, such as with P. Vladigerov, R. Bekker, Itto, and V. Tsatsava.

After graduating from high school, she began studying law at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, but paused these studies in order to continue her piano education.

From 2005 to 2009, she pursued a bachelor’s degree at the Kazakh National Conservatory in Almaty, Kazakhstan, studying piano with Prof. G. Kadyrbekova, accompaniment with S. Ungarova, chamber music with G. Bakieva, and organ with Prof. G. Nesipbaev. She completed her bachelor’s studies with distinction as a pianist, accompanist, chamber music soloist, and organist. After her successful graduation, she declined offers to continue piano studies and to teach at the conservatory. Instead, she followed her passion for organ music, deciding to further explore this field and continued her organ studies at the same conservatory. In 2011 she graduated with distinction with a Master’s degree in “Master of Arts Criticism // Master in Organ Performance,” with organ as her main subject under Prof. G. Nesipbaev.

Her organ studies then led her to the country with the richest organ tradition, Germany. From 2011, she studied at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart with the world-renowned organist Prof. Dr. L. Lohmann. In 2013, she completed her “Master of Music” with distinction. The same year, she began her concert examination studies with Prof. Dr. L. Lohmann, which she successfully completed with distinction in April 2016.

As a pianist, she performed with various orchestras from a young age. Her first experience came in 1996 when, after winning a competition, she was awarded the opportunity to perform a Mozart concerto with the orchestra of the Thessaloniki Conservatory in the concert hall of Aristotle University. In 1997, she won first prize at the XI National Competition for Young Pianists in Athens. In 1999, she received third prize at the XXII International Competition in Agropoli, Italy. A year later, she participated as a pianist in the first International Music Festival for Young Musicians in Graz, Austria. In 2006, she was awarded first prize at the first International Chamber Music Competition in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

As an organist, she took part in the International Organ Music Festival “Spring City” in Almaty in 2010, and in the masterclasses “Iuniores Priores Organorium Seinensis” in Poland and Lithuania with Professors J. Serafin, J. Gembalski, and G. Gnann.

Ioanna Solomonidou received numerous awards in organ competitions. In September 2011, she was awarded the special prize “Faith, Hope, Love” at the VII International M. Tariverdiev Organ Competition in Kaliningrad, Russia. A year later, she won first prize and the award for best interpretation of a J.P. Sweelinck work at the VIII International J.P. Sweelinck Organ Competition in Gdansk, Poland. There she performed for the first time as an organist with the Polska Filharmonia Bałtycka Orchestra. In June 2014, she received 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. A month later, after a competition, she was selected to participate in the “Rising Stars” Festival project, which gave her the opportunity to perform with various orchestras across Europe. In March 2015, she performed with the student orchestra of the University of the Arts Graz under the direction of Graziella Contratto. In September 2015, she received the diploma as a finalist at the VII International M. Ciurlionis Organ Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania. In June 2016, she performed with the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Johannes Klumpp.

Today, Ioanna is active as a solo and chamber music organist, performing a wide range of concerts and programs in many countries. Her repertoire spans different eras and styles, from early Baroque to contemporary organ music. Her greatest passion, however, is German Romantic organ music, including composers such as Mendelssohn, Reger, Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, Reubke, and others.

Her concert activity has taken place in Greece, Kazakhstan, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Russia, England, Poland, Lithuania, and beyond. Ioanna speaks four languages (Greek, Russian, German, and English), which enables her to collaborate with artists worldwide.

Ioanna has been a member of the ensemble “Zeitlose Musik” since 2013 and, since 2015, of an early music ensemble (soprano, recorder, oboe, and organ). From 2015 to 2017, she served as organist at the Amandus Church in Freiberg am Neckar. From June 2017 to May 2018, she worked as an organist in Schmiden-Fellbach. Since June 2018, she has been employed as church musician at the Monastery Church in Denkendorf, where she also teaches organ. Since 2023, she has been working as a piano teacher and accompanist at the municipal music school in Backnang.

Ioanna and her daughters live in Stuttgart, the state capital.