Ioana Constantin Pipelea
Soprano

Romanian-Irish soprano Ioana Constantin Pipelea praised for her "timbre with a beautiful presence and easy high notes" (Forum Opera), “best singing” and “charisma” (The Irish Times), “vocal delight“ (Edinburgh Music Review),“pleasing soprano voice“ and “confident performance, with her attractive upper register“ (Opera Wire),  “impeccable technique” (Radio Romania Cultural), and “highly accomplished performance and coquettish“ (Seen and Heard International) has performed on international stages like Ireland, Romania, Switzerland, UK, France and Spain.

Soprano Ioana Constantin-Pipelea is the 2nd Prize Winner at CORSICA LÍRICA International Singing Competition 2022 in Corsica, France. In June 2023 Ioana was a finalist in Verum Solitus Singing Competition at Romanian National Opera Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania, where she has been awarded a special prize: a main operatic role engagement at the Romanian National Opera Cluj.  Associate Artist at Northern Ireland Opera 2021-2022 and the winner of Wexford Festival Opera Gerard Arnhold Award (2017), Ioana was a multiple prize and award winner in singing competition in Ireland (Feis Ceoil) and abroad. The soprano has performed at the National Opera House in Wexford, as part of Wexford Festival Opera in 2024 the main role of Colombina in Mascagni’s opera "Le Maschere", Michelina in opera "Il Bravo"* by Mercadante (2018) - *winner of the Best Opera Award at The Irish Times Theatre Awards in 2019, the role of Fenitchka in opera Risurezzione (2017) by Alfano.  Other operatic roles performed by soprano Ioana Constantin Pipelea are:  Pamina in Die Zauberflöte by Mozart (2014) at Lismore Opera Festival/ Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, Vixen in The Cunning Little Vixen by Janáček, Cupid in Handel’s Semele, Emmie in Britten’s Albert Herring,  Clorinda in Monteverdi’s  Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda  -operas produced by Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM). 

In vocal-symphonic and oratorio  Ioana has performed the soprano solo in the Symphony No.4 by Mahler with the Hibernian Orchestra at the National Concert Hall Dublin, the soprano solo in oratorio Messiah by G.F. Handel with the Irish Baroque Orchestra at Christchurch Cathedral Dublin,  BBC Radio Ulster live broadcast soloist with the Ulster Orchestra at Ulster Hall Belfast etc. In July 2018 Ioana has made her solo debut with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (former RTÉ NSO) at the National Concert Hall Dublin in a live broadcast concert presented by Liz Nolan on RTÉ Lyric FM.

Ioana graduated with First Class Honours at the Royal Irish Academy of Music & Trinity College Dublin and DCU of Master of Arts in Vocal Performance, Bachelor of Arts in Music (Vocal) Performance and Diploma in Music Teaching and Performance. Ioana had the privilege to study at RIAM with Dr. Veronica Dunne (Voice), Dr. Suzanne Murphy (Opera and Voice), Kathleen Tynan (Voice and Lieder), Philip O’Reilly (Voice and Oratorio) and repetiteurs Dearbhla Collins, Brenda Hurley, Mairead Hurley,  Aoife O’Sullivan, Andrew Synnott. At present, Ioana is a doctorate student at the Music Academy "Gheorghe Dima" in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.  

During the Young Artist Programme at the Northern Ireland Opera, soprano Ioana Constantin Pipelea has had the opportunity to participate actively in opera coachings at the Royal Opera House London (Covent Garden) with David Gowland, at the English National Opera with Martin Fitzpatrick and at the National Opera Studio with Katherine Harries. 

Ioana has been selected for the final rounds of the International Singing Competition Bordeaux Médoc Lyrique 2018 at the Opéra National de Bordeaux, France and the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, Dublin in 2019.