About ivana
Experience:
Ivana is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice Performance at the University of Iowa. In May of 2022, she received her Masters in Music degree with a concentration in Vocal Pedagogy from East Carolina University. Ivana also holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois State University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Ivana has been teaching since her high school years during which she taught beginner voice and piano lessons at Naperville Music Academy. There, she also ran a Disney Camp for students to sing and act out scenes from their favorite Disney movies. Ivana has since taught voice, guitar, ukulele, and piano lessons through her private studio in Bloomington-Normal, IL and Greenville, NC, as well as for Metcalf Music Academy, ISU Community School for the Arts, and Bloomington-Normal YMCA. She has prepared students for competitions, contests, auditions, musicals, recitals, and judged voice and piano contests and competitions. In the Spring of 2020, she student taught general music and choir for grades 4-12 at Tri-Valley Middle School and High School. In addition to teaching, Ivana regularly performs and judges competitions. She now teaches at St. Ambrose University, Pleasant Valley High School, and Rosazza Lesson Studios.
Ivana made her opera debut in 2017 as a chorus member in Midwest Institute of Opera's productions of Die Fledermaus (Strauss) and La bohème (Puccini). Since then, she has performed as Jenny in Three Sister's Who Are Not Sisters (Rorem), La suora infermiera in Suor Angelica (Puccini), Flora in La traviata (Verdi), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Mozart) and in the ensemble for The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan) and the world premiere of Mark Taggart and Ann McCutchan's The Dreamer.
Training:
Ivana studies voice with Dr. Rachel Joselson and coaches with Wayne Wyman. Previously, Ivana has studied voice with Dr. Catherine Gardner, Mr. John Kramar, Dr. Elizabeth Thompson, Dr. Michelle Vought, Dr. Kathryn Leemhuis, and Dr. Sonja Mihelcic, and coached with Dr. Geoffrey Duce and Eric Stellrecht. She has been playing piano for most of her life, which she has studied with Hanah Gan, Andrew Wilson, and Dr. Sonja Mihelcic. Ivana has studied guitar both privately with Travis Griffin through Naperville Music Academy, and in a group setting at Illinois State University.
Scholarships and Awards:
In April 2019, Ivana was awarded the John Jay Ireland Scholarship and the Golden Lyre Foundation Award. More recently, she was awarded the Sigma Alpha Iota Academic Scholarship for her high GPA at ISU. Ivana's excellent musicianship and strong work ethic have also led her to receive the Inaugural Acafellaz Scholarship, Redbird Scholarship, Lisle Choir Parents Scholarship, and more. She has won many trophies from Illinois Music Association competitions and received first place medals from Solo and Ensemble contests.
Activities:
Ivana is currently acting on the advisory board for the Illinois Music Society Competition. She was the Secretary for East Carolina University Student National Association of Teachers of Singing from 2021-2022. During her senior year at ISU, Ivana served as the Music Chair for the Lambda Mu chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota and head of the ISU Choral Ambassadors Program. In the fall 0f 2019, she made her opera debut as the lead role, Jenny, in ISU's Opera Practicum's performance of Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters by Ned Rorem. Additionally, Ivana was treasurer for ISU's student chapter of American Choral Director's Association from 2017-2018. She regularly attends events and workshops to improve her skill. Some events she has participated in include, but are not limited to, Join Voices! Chicago, ACDA Summer Conferences, Kodaly and Orff workshops, and a Stage Performance Camp at Berklee College of Music.
Ivana is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice Performance at the University of Iowa. In May of 2022, she received her Masters in Music degree with a concentration in Vocal Pedagogy from East Carolina University. Ivana also holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois State University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Ivana has been teaching since her high school years during which she taught beginner voice and piano lessons at Naperville Music Academy. There, she also ran a Disney Camp for students to sing and act out scenes from their favorite Disney movies. Ivana has since taught voice, guitar, ukulele, and piano lessons through her private studio in Bloomington-Normal, IL and Greenville, NC, as well as for Metcalf Music Academy, ISU Community School for the Arts, and Bloomington-Normal YMCA. She has prepared students for competitions, contests, auditions, musicals, recitals, and judged voice and piano contests and competitions. In the Spring of 2020, she student taught general music and choir for grades 4-12 at Tri-Valley Middle School and High School. In addition to teaching, Ivana regularly performs and judges competitions. She now teaches at St. Ambrose University, Pleasant Valley High School, and Rosazza Lesson Studios.
Ivana made her opera debut in 2017 as a chorus member in Midwest Institute of Opera's productions of Die Fledermaus (Strauss) and La bohème (Puccini). Since then, she has performed as Jenny in Three Sister's Who Are Not Sisters (Rorem), La suora infermiera in Suor Angelica (Puccini), Flora in La traviata (Verdi), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Mozart) and in the ensemble for The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan) and the world premiere of Mark Taggart and Ann McCutchan's The Dreamer.
Training:
Ivana studies voice with Dr. Rachel Joselson and coaches with Wayne Wyman. Previously, Ivana has studied voice with Dr. Catherine Gardner, Mr. John Kramar, Dr. Elizabeth Thompson, Dr. Michelle Vought, Dr. Kathryn Leemhuis, and Dr. Sonja Mihelcic, and coached with Dr. Geoffrey Duce and Eric Stellrecht. She has been playing piano for most of her life, which she has studied with Hanah Gan, Andrew Wilson, and Dr. Sonja Mihelcic. Ivana has studied guitar both privately with Travis Griffin through Naperville Music Academy, and in a group setting at Illinois State University.
Scholarships and Awards:
In April 2019, Ivana was awarded the John Jay Ireland Scholarship and the Golden Lyre Foundation Award. More recently, she was awarded the Sigma Alpha Iota Academic Scholarship for her high GPA at ISU. Ivana's excellent musicianship and strong work ethic have also led her to receive the Inaugural Acafellaz Scholarship, Redbird Scholarship, Lisle Choir Parents Scholarship, and more. She has won many trophies from Illinois Music Association competitions and received first place medals from Solo and Ensemble contests.
Activities:
Ivana is currently acting on the advisory board for the Illinois Music Society Competition. She was the Secretary for East Carolina University Student National Association of Teachers of Singing from 2021-2022. During her senior year at ISU, Ivana served as the Music Chair for the Lambda Mu chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota and head of the ISU Choral Ambassadors Program. In the fall 0f 2019, she made her opera debut as the lead role, Jenny, in ISU's Opera Practicum's performance of Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters by Ned Rorem. Additionally, Ivana was treasurer for ISU's student chapter of American Choral Director's Association from 2017-2018. She regularly attends events and workshops to improve her skill. Some events she has participated in include, but are not limited to, Join Voices! Chicago, ACDA Summer Conferences, Kodaly and Orff workshops, and a Stage Performance Camp at Berklee College of Music.
