Born in Sibiu, Romania, in 1988, Ioana Ilie started her career as a pianist at 14, and soon won numerous national and international festivals and competitions. Winning the Constantin Silvestri Scholarship-Competition in 2005 led to a year-long scholarship at Pocklington School in York, England. She has performed as a soloist with many conductors and orchestras in Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, Holland, Spain, England, Switzerland, the US and Japan. She has successfully completed both her Bachelor Degree and Teaching Diploma at the Music Academy Basel, under Prof. Adrian Oetiker (piano), Prof. Balz Trümpy (composition) and Prof. Rudolf Lutz (improvisation). She has also studied with and learned from distinguished names such as Stephen Kovacevich (USA), Piotr Anderszewski (Poland), Jan Schultsz (Holland) and Fabio Bidini (Italy).
 Nowadays she is known for the art of classical improvisation, stunning every audience with her incredible talent. The Romanian is also in demand as a composer whose works have already been performed in Romania, the UK, Germany, in the US as well as throughout Switzerland, for example by the internationally renowned Phoenix Ensemble, conducted by Jürg Henneberger.