Composer, Ion Ionescu, started his musical voyage when he left his native Romania and came to the United States at age fifteen. Ionescu, who studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes College of Music, is a veteran of more than 100 concerts/competitions in the U.S. and Europe, including the Romanian National Classical Competition and the Bertelsmann’s World of Expression Scholarship Program, sponsored by the German music distributor Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG), for new and emerging composers throughout the world.

Ionescu has performed original works at Steinway Hall, CAMI Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall DiCapo Opera Theatre, St. Malachi’s Church, Tribeca Performing Arts Center and The Venetian in Las Vegas, among others. Originally scheduled for a Command Performance before the President of Romania, Ion Iliescu and George Pataki in 2001, the concert was cancelled because of the September 11th tragedy. However, Ionescu’s volunteer work at Ground Zero inspired his original composition, Why?, which appears on his sophomore album, October Requiem, released in 2004 at Carnegie Hall. His debut album, Atmosphere, was launched in 2000 at a performance before the Consul General of Romania at The Romanian Consulate General in New York. Ion’s third CD is entitled “Lost In Reality”.

Ionescu also composed part of the score for the Independent films, “Long Story Short” and “The Sublet” as well as the original music for the off-Broadway musical Being Born and its latest incarnation, Time Being. Moreover, Ion composed the background music for the theatrical piece, “Luceafarul”.

For more information, visit www.ionionescu.com.