Irena Josifoska

Biography

Irena Josifoska is one of the most promising cellists of her generation. She was the 1st prize winner at the Gabrielli cello competition in november 2021 in Berlin and as academist of Verbier Festival winner of the prize Prix Jean-Nicolas Firmenich, which recognises the Verbier Festival Academy's most promising cellist. In 2022 she got Honorary Mention for an excellent performance as one of the six-semifinalists at the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, where she had recital in the hall of Berliner Philharmonie. In 2017 she was the youngest semifinalist of the Queen Elisabeth competition.

The musicians and critics all over the world describe her as a very virtuosic and energetic artist, with specific individual expression in her playing.

Irena was born in 1996 in Subotica (Serbia) into a family of musicians. She started playing the cello at the age of 5 in Novi Sad, in the class of Judit Niederholzer-Josifoska. She finished Bachelor studies at the “Hochschule für Musik” in Detmold (Germany) in the class of prof. Xenia Jankovic, Master solo studies at the „Universität der Künste“ in Berlin in the class of prof. Jens Peter Maintz, and since October 2022 she is a student of the „Konzertexamen studies“ (the highest degree in Germany) in the same class and same University. Irena was „Artist in residence“ of „Queen Elisabeth Music Chapelle“ in Brussels for chamber-music and since september 2022 she is part of the „Villa musica foundation and chamber music festival academy“.

She won many highest awards in national and international competitions, like Dotzauer cello competition in Germany, Herann cello competition in Czech republic, International cello competition in Liezen, Austria. In 2015, as the youngest contestant, she was the finalist and one of laureats of Jeunesses musicales international competition in Belgrade and won The audience prize and several special prizes. In 2018 she got a SILVER MEDAL in Vienna international music competition and in 2019 GOLDEN MEDAL with High distinction in Manhattan international music competition. In 2020 she got a Special prize of the family Janigro at the Janigro competition in Zagreb and in April this year she won the "GWK Scholarship prize" in the competition among all instruments, in Germany.

Irena is a recipient of several recognitions, like: The most promising young music artist in 2013, the prize from Society of music artists of Serbia as The best young music artist in 2015, The little prince prize in 2018.

She performed all over the Europe and USA and she was a soloist of the eminent orchestras, like Deutsche Sinfonietta Berlin, Metamorphosen Berlin, Wurttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Hagen Symphony orchestra, NWD orchestra, Detmold chamber orchestra, Kaunas philharmony, Orchestra nazionale sinfonica, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, etc. She was participant of the biggest festivals, like Verbier Festival Academy, Musiktage Mondsee, Paax GNP Festival in Mexico, Bebersee Festival, Fränkischer Sommer, Krzyzowa Music, Eggenfelden Klassisch, Ohrid Summer Festival, Kronberg Academy Masterclasses, Rutesheim Cello Akademie, Liechteinstein Musikakademie, ISA-International summer academy, Crescendo festival Berlin, Moritzburg Festival Academy (1st prize of audience), Sumito Switzerland, Hohenstaufen chamber music festival, Nitzow chamber music festival, Ljubljana Festival, Music Forum in Trenta, Slovenia held by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, etc.

Irena recorded two CDs, one for „A-records“ (Sweden), another one for „Art-link“ and „Societe generale bank“.
She also plays a barock cello , with in September 2019 she recorded a CD with the „VOX barock ensemble“ for „Sony“.
In december 2022 Irena was part of the production "Christmas in Berlin" - STAGE+ with Deutsche Grammophon and Albrecht Mayer.

Josifoska is „Thomastik Infeld artist“, was the scholarship holder of „Deutschland Stipendium“ and of „Ad infinitum and DAAD“ fondation.

Irena attended master classes with prof. David Geringas, Frans Helmerson, Steven Isserlis, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Miklos Perenyi, Jerome Pernoo, Claudio Bohorquez, Wenn Sin Yang, Marc Coppey, Christian Poltera, Daniel Müller Schott, Alban Gerhardt, etc.

She worked and played with eminent musicians and conductors like Guy Braunstein, Daniel Stabrawa, Ivry Gitlis, Jens Peter Maintz, Heinrich Schiff, Albrecht Mayer, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Sacha Rattle, Vadim Gluzman, Maria-Elisabeth Lott, Helmuth Rilling, Sophia Jaffé, Lisa Schatzman, Gili Schwarzman, Paolo Bonomini, Andrea Lieberknecht, Kent Nagano, Dag Jensen, Marie-Luise Neunecker, Jonas Vitaud, Frank-Michael Erben, Keiko Tamura, Naoko Sonoda, Artemis quartett, Auryn quartett, Annika Treutler, Corina Belcea, Mihaela Martin, Gabor Takacs Nagy, Matheu Herzog, Inmo Yang, Stephen Waarts, Gareth Lubbe, Tim Crawford, etc.

Composers Dejan Despic, S.S.Kovacevic, Aleksandar Vujic, Tibor Hartig and Günter Puzberg dedicated their compositions to Irena.

Irena plays as a guest solo-cellist of Camerata Salzburg, Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie, Detmolder chamber-orchestra, Munich radio-orchestra and she is permanent substitution in Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin (performing mostly in the hall of Berlin philharmonic).

Words of musicians:

“Irena is one of rare cellists, where from her confident coming to the stage, her instrumental virtuosity, her expressiveness and her whole personality I was tied up. Among big number of great cellists nowadays, she is above almost everybody, because of what she can, because of her expressivity and exceptional taste for musical styles.”
Götz Teutsch, solo-cellist of "Berlin philharmonic", 2022

“Irena Josifoska is one mature and experienced musician. Her interpretations are very thoughtful, her technique is brilliant, her sound clean and singing, round and beautiful. On stage Irena impresses with her chamber-musical agility and wonderful expressiveness as well through her extinguished artistic personality.”
The jury of "GWK Förderung", 2022

“Irena is for sure one of the most gifted musicians I met in my career. Her enthusiasm transports the music directly to the heart of her audience and her stunning technique, her variable, warm and brilliant tone and her virtuosity leave the listener stunned and grateful.”
Florian Ludwig, conductor, 2021

“Irena is an exceptionally expressive musician, her technical abilities are of a high level and she has a very good sense for expressing different styles and colours in music.”
Xenia Jankovic, cellist, 2021

“It is unbelievable how someone can experience and convey all the sung and painful legato in Faure’s “Elegie” without having oneself suffered greatly and not having a wounded soul.”
G. Krajacic, 2009

”Contact with Irena Josifoska gave the audience moments of true joy in the beauty of music and a soaring performance which captivated with its genuine liveliness and unusual maturity of expression.”
B. Hlozan, 2011

“Each generation has its own aces and in the present one it is certainly Irena Josifoska.This child is talked about and has great prospects. ”
B. Radović, 2010

“Irenas determination, playing impulse, attitude, looks, dominance over the “musical matter“ and as always, such a striking fusion between the artist and instrument, left a huge impression...”
M. Adamov, 2013

Schedule

2024

26th of March - 1st of April:
Chambermusic project with Roman Simovic

Location: Villa musica, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
23th of June:
"Stars of tomorrow"
With Daniel Stabrawa

Location: Schloss Corvey
July:
NEO Festival Novi Sad

Location: Novi Sad, Serbia

2023

16th of January:
Celebration of the 90th birthday of Bernhard Vogel, the longest prime-minister in Germany

Programme: J.S.Bach
Location: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Berlin
3rd - 6th of February:
Alexander Sitkovetsky
Detmolder chamber orchestra

Programme: Tchaikovsky: "Souvenir de Florence"
Location: Konzerthaus Detmold, Germany
14th - 17th of February:
Chambermusic concert with Sonc, Crawford, Molaeb
SUMITO Cultural association

Programme: Britten, Barber, Bridge
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
26th of February:
Recital with the pianist Han-Wen Jennifer Yu

Programme: Schnittke, Boulanger, Britten
Location: "Palais Lichtenau" Potsdam, Germany
9th - 10th of March:
R G Niederhoffer Events

Programme: Bach 1st and 3rd cello solo suites
9th of March - Location: Zürich
10th of March - Location: Geneva
4th - 10th of April:
"Villa musica"
Chambermusic concerts with Guy Braunstein

Programme: Ravel, Strauss, Beethoven, Wolf, Mozart
Location: Germany
21st - 24th of April:
Schönberg, Lutoslawski with Daniel Stabrawa

Location: Detmold, Germany
26th of April:
Recital with the pianist Han-Wen Jennifer Yu

Programme: Schnittke, Boulanger, Britten
Location: Salon "Christophori" Berlin, Germany
29th of April:
Recording with Paolo Bonomini

Location: Berlin, Germany
2nd of May:
Recording of a modern piece by Logan Strosahl

Location: Berlin, Germany
15th - 20th of May:
Chambermusic concerts with Vadim Gluzman

Programme: Boccherini, Tchaikovsky
20th - 22nd of May:
Solo cello of "Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin"

Conductor: Catherine Larsen-Maguire
Location: "Philharmonie Berlin", Germany
15th of June:
House-concert Berlin, Germany

Brahms piano trio B-major
25th of June - 9th of July:
Festival Paax GNP

Location: Mexico
9th - 16th of July:
Schloss Tambach Summer Festival
14th of July:
Recital
Sae Yoon Chon, piano

Programme: Beethoven, Chopin, Boulanger
15th of July:
Trio concert
Mathilde Milwidsky, violin
Sae Yoon Chon, piano
16th of July:
Festival "Fränkischer Sommer"

Programme: J.S.Bach Solo Cello Suites
Location: "Schloss Dennenlohe", Germany
26th - 29th of July:
Nitzow chamber-music festival

Location: Nitzow, Germany
30th of July - 6th of August:
"Éole en Musiques" festival

Location: Paimbœuf, France
21st - 27th of August:
Bebersee chambermusic festival

Location: Bebersee, Germany
3rd of September:
Dvorak "American quartett"
"Quartett Josifoski"

Location: Belgrade, Serbia
15th of September:
Bach Gamba Sonata No.1 in G-Major
with Michael Cohen-Weißert

Location: Koblenz, Germany
22nd - 24th of September:
DKO Berlin
Project with Omar Massa

Location: Berlin Philharmonie
29th of September:
Recital
Vita Kan, piano

Programme: Bach, Boulanger, Debussy, Strauss, Piazzolla
Location: "Piano salon Christophori", Berlin
5th, 6th and 26th of October:
Recitals
Vita Kan, piano
"Villa musica"

Location: Schloß Engers, Germany
13th of October:
Kladow, Berlin

Programme: Dall`Abaco Capriccios for solo cello
16th - 21st of October:
Chambermusic project with "Witkowski piano duo"

Schumann and Dohnányi piano quintetts
Location: Villa musica, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
13th of November:
"Quartett Josifoski"

Chamber-music concert
Location: Galery "SANU", Belgrade, Serbia
23th of November:
Trio concert

Location: Piano salon Christophori, Berlin
December:
CD Recording

Location: Serbia

2022

2nd of February:
Shostakovich 2nd cello concerto

"Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra"
Location: Novi Sad, Serbia
1st and 2nd of April:
GWK Competition

Location: Münster, Germany
24th of April:
Tchaikovsky: Rococo variations

Location: Kaunitz, Germany
6th - 10th of May:
Solo cello of "Camerata Salzburg"

Location: Oviedo, Spain
6th - 10th of July:
"Nitzow Chamber Music festival"

Location: Nitzow, Germany
10th of July - 1st of August:
Verbier Festival Academy

Location: Verbier, Switzerland
13th of August:
"Ohrid Summer Festival"- recital with the pianist Aleksandar Djermanovic

Programme: Rachmaninoff, Medtner, Piazzolla, Schumann
Location: Ohrid, North Macedonia
21st of August - 4th of September:
Krzyzowa Chambermusic Festival

Location: Krzyzowa, Poland
18th of September:
Festival "Tisin cvet", recital with the pianist Ivan Basic
Receiving the prize "Aleksandar Vujic"

Programme: Shostakovich, Beethoven, Vujic
Location: Novi Knezevac, Serbia
25th of September - 2nd of October:
Kronberg Academy Masterclasses

Location: Kronberg, Germany
10th of November:
Recital with the pianist Naoko Sonoda

Programme: Beethoven, Britten, Dvorak, Widmann, Arensky
Location: "Club Blau Weiß" Berlin, Germany
13th of November:
"GWK" winners concert

Location: Münster, Germany
16th - 22nd of November:
"Feuermann competition" Berlin

(12 participants invited after the first round)
28th of November - 5th of December:
"Villa musica" project

Concerts in Germany:
02.12. Trier,
03.12. Mainz,
04.12. Neuwied-Engers
9th - 11th of December:
"Christmas in Berlin" with Albrecht Mayer and "Deutsche Grammophon" - recording

Release: 23rd of December
17th of December:
Schubert "Trout quintett"

Location: Zürich, Switzerland