Lunchtime Recital - Ana-Maria Ilie, piano

Ana-Maria Ilie is a Romanian pianist whose artistic path began in her hometown of Călărași. Biography: Ana-Maria Ilie is a Romanian pianist whose artistic path began in her hometown of Călărași. From the fifth grade, she pursued specialised musical studies at Romania’s most prestigious arts schools – the National College of Arts “Dinu Lipatti” in Bucharest. Currently, she is studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London with Yekaterina Lebedeva, under whose guidance she was awarded Second Prize at the 34th Rome International Piano Competition. Her musical formation developed in Bucharest through her work with Professor Dr Alina Balaban, with whom she received numerous national and international distinctions. In her later high-school years, she continued her artistic refinement with Lecturer Dr Carmen Enescu Botezatu, a period marked by a deepening of sound awareness, structural understanding and interpretative clarity. This collaboration led to the Grand Prize at the Young Musicians Competition, followed by a Special Prize the subsequent year, which included a solo recital at ACT Theatre in Bucharest. As a soloist, Ana-Maria has appeared on some of Romania’s most important concert stages. In October 2024, she made her orchestral debut at the Romanian Athenaeum, performing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052, within the educational project Clasic e fantastic. On 1 June 2025, she performed Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major at the National University of Music Bucharest, as part of the Graduates’ Concert. Her activity as a performer has taken her to venues across Europe, including Bozar Hall in Brussels, the University of Music in Brescia, the Blackheat Halls, and concert halls in Germany, Hungary and Greece. She has also performed at Cotroceni National Museum, George Enescu Festival Square, the German Embassy in Bucharest, the George Enescu Memorial House in Sinaia, the Goethe Institute, Mogoșoaia Palace and the Metropolitan Library of Bucharest. Ana-Maria’s artistic voice has been shaped through encounters with musicians such as Jimmy Brière, James Baillieu, Susan Chan, André Parfenov, Dietmar Nawroth, Gottlieb Wallisch, Andreas Frölich, Vlad Dimulescu, Florian Mitrea, Viniciu Moroianu and Toma Popovici, whose perspectives have contributed to her ongoing search for musical truth. Alongside her solo work, she is deeply committed to chamber music, valuing the intimacy, dialogue and shared responsibility it entails. She regularly collaborates with instrumentalists and singers and has taken part in specialised chamber music programmes and competitions, including the International Künstlerhaus Bușteni. Her most recent chamber music distinction is the Second Prize at the English Song Competition, awarded alongside soprano Sophie Hanson. Ana-Maria Ilie has given interviews on Romanian national television, including TVR Cultural in a programme dedicated to the George Enescu International Festival and Trinitas TV. She is currently supported as a scholarship recipient of Sony Music Group and by the charity Talent Unlimited, continuing her artistic journey with a focus on depth, sincerity and long-term musical growth. Presented in association with Talent Unlimited.