Sofia-Ioana Blându
Cellist Sofia Blându, born in 2003 in Iași, Romania, started studying cello at the age of 7 at the National College of Arts "Octav Băncila". At the age of 14, she decides to pursue her studies in Bucharest, at the "Dinu Lipatti" National College of Arts, where she will study in the classes of professors Mircea Marian and Marin Cazacu, at the National University of Music. Starting in 2023, Sofia Blându is admitted to the Universität der Künste in Berlin, where she will continue her Bachelor studies in the class of Professor Konstantin Heidrich.
Over the years, she has won numerous national and international awards, the most important being: semi-finalist at the "George Enescu" International Competition (2022), Grand Prix at the "Paul Constantinescu" Competition (2019 and 2022), Grand Prix at the " Alexandru Morosanu"(2016), Grand Prix at the "George Manoliu Master of Strings" Competition(2021), 3rd Prize at the ProArt Competition, Ukraine(2016), Special Prize at the "Ludovic Bacs" Hungarian Music Festival ". Also, Sofia Blându has performed as a soloist in Romania and Germany with the Romania-Moldova Youth Orchestra, A.T.A.C. Orchestra, Deutsches Juristen Orchestra, Orchestra of the "Dinu Lipatti" National College of Art, Bacău Philharmonic. She gave both solo and chamber music recitals in Romania, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Great Britain, etc.
Starting from 2017, she is part of the Romanian Youth Orchestras and later, of the Violoncellissimo ensemble. Throughout her development, the young cellist participated in masterclasses held by: Frans Helmerson, Jens Peter Maintz, Marc Coppey, Konstantin Heidrich, Reinhard Latzko, Valentin Radutiu, Henri Demarquette, Marin Cazacu etc. Since 2018, Sofia has been admitted five years in a row, as a scholarship holder within SoNoRo Interferente, where she will have the opportunity to study and perform with the teachers: Diana Ketler, Mihaela Martin, Justus Grimm, Razvan Popovici and Frans Helmerson. In the summer of 2022, she performed together with pianist Lizaveta Bormotova at the “Salzburger Festspiele”. Sofia benefited from a scholarship offered by Paul Hindemith Society Berlin.