About

Ioanna Vlagkouli is a dynamic orchestra conductor, musicologist, pianist, and ballet choreographer whose artistry bridges the worlds of music and dance. She completed her piano and music theory diplomas in Athens with excellency. She is also a graduate of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, holding a Master of Music, specialising in the field of Historical and Systematical Musicology. She then started her studies in orchestra conducting, under the guidance of Maestro Lucas Karytinos, and graduated with the highest honours.

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Ioanna’s conducting career has taken her across Europe, collaborating with renowned soloists and leading performances of symphonic and operatic repertoire with prestigious ensembles, including the Athens State Orchestra, Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, and Bucharest Symphony Orchestra. Notably, she collaborated with the Athens State Orchestra for Verdi's Messa da Requiem at the Athens-Epidaurus Festival and participated in recording projects with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra featuring works by Prokofiev. Recently, she embarked with the CySO on a full concert tour.

Ioanna’s conducting excellence has been recognized in prestigious competitions worldwide. She won most recently the Orchestra, Audience, President of the Jury and Best Female Conductor at the Wiener Schule Competition in Vienna, Austria, 1st Prize at the Fenix Award International Competition, 1st Prize at the Bach International Music Competition, received an Honorable Mention at the Vienna New Year’s Concert International Music Competition(2024), and was a finalist in the Alceo Galliera Competition (2024) in Italy. She was also awarded the Special Talent Award at the Bucharest Conducting Academy Competition (2024).

Beyond the podium, Ioanna is an accomplished pianist and an award-winning ballet dancer and choreographer. She has performed as a soloist dancer and worked as a choreographer with the State Opera Stara Zagora and worked extensively in ballet education, holding diplomas from the Royal Academy of Dance and holding the title of the Associate of the RAD.

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With a passion for interdisciplinary artistry, Ioanna continues to shape the future of classical performance, uniting the expressive power of music and movement on international stages.