Biography
A journey through sound and expression
About
Soloist · Collaborative Pianist · Music Teacher
Dr. Jonida Lazellari
Albanian pianist Dr. Jonida Lazellari is a soloist, collaborative pianist, and music teacher based in New York. She is devoted to contemporary music and to works by women composers, and her repertoire ranges from Emma Lou Diemer, Jennifer Higdon, Joan Tower, Lera Auerbach, and Missy Mazzoli to Bach, Debussy, Liszt, and Rachmaninov. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from Pennsylvania State University.
Her performances have taken her to festivals and venues in Albania, Malta, Kosovo, and the United States, including the Valletta International Piano Festival, the European Summer Music Academy, and the Chamber Music Collective at Cornell University.
As a collaborative pianist, Dr. Lazellari has performed with the Art Song Preservation Society of New York City and the Association of Classical Musicians and Artists, and at the Live Music by Living Composers concert at the Tenri Cultural Institute, presented by the Leschetizky Association.
She has also presented her research and performances at conferences including the PMTA Symposium at Kutztown University, the College Music Society Northeast Chapter at Hofstra University, and the CMS Great Lakes Chapter Conference at Roosevelt University in Chicago, reflecting her commitment to new music.
Education & Recognition
Education
- Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance, Pennsylvania State University
- Master of Music, Syracuse University
- Master of Arts in Piano, University of Arts in Tirana, Albania
- Bachelor of Arts in Piano, University of Arts in Tirana, Albania
Awards
- Graduate Exhibition Award, Penn State
- Hira Poncha Endowed Piano Award, Syracuse University
- World University Service Scholarship, Albania
Professional Affiliations
- Music Teachers National Association (MTNA)
- College Music Society (CMS)
- Piano Teachers Congress of New York (PTCNY)
Selected Engagements
Festivals, collaborations, concert series and conferences.
Festivals and chamber series
- Pianodrom Festival
- Albanian Brass Festival
- Frymon Festival (Albania)
- Valletta International Piano Festival (Malta)
- European Summer Music Academy (Kosovo)
- Chamber Music Collective at Cornell University
Collaborative piano
- Art Song Preservation Society of New York City
- Association of Classical Musicians and Artists
- Live Music by Living Composers concert at the Tenri Cultural Institute, presented by the Leschetizky Association
Concert series and community programs
- Mosaic Concert Series
- President’s Concert at the Pullo Center
- Student Engagement Expo
- Musical Interludes at the Village (Pennsylvania)
- Outreach and recital programs at the LaFayette Public Library and Civic Morning Musicals (Syracuse, NY)
Conferences
- PMTA Symposium at Kutztown University
- College Music Society Northeast Chapter at Hofstra University (Long Island)
- CMS Great Lakes Chapter Conference at Roosevelt University (Chicago)
My Musical Philosophy
For me, the piano is a way of listening as much as a way of speaking. Every piece, whether it was written three centuries ago or three months ago, asks me to find what it has to say and to give it a voice that feels honest.
I am drawn to new music and to the work of women composers, whose voices deserve to be heard far more often in the concert hall. Playing Diemer, Higdon, Tower, Auerbach, and Mazzoli alongside Bach, Debussy, and Rachmaninov shows me how much these conversations across the centuries have to offer, and I hope audiences leave curious to hear more.
Collaboration and teaching shape the way I play. Making music with singers, instrumentalists, and students reminds me that music is a shared act that lives in listening, generosity, and trust. Whether I am on stage or in the studio, my goal is the same: to make music feel open and alive for everyone in the room.
