Ilona Meija

Ilona Meija serves as Professor of Flute, Orchestral Repertoire, and Woodwind Quintet at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music since 2008, concurrently leading the Wind and Percussion Department (2008-2011 and 2021-present). She maintains additional teaching positions at Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Music Secondary School and Ventspils Music Secondary School while performing as concertmaster for State Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga.

Her educational foundation includes bachelor's (1994) and master's (2007) degrees from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music under Prof. Viļnis Strautiņš and Prof. Gunta Sproģe, supplemented by master classes with Andreas Blau and Craig Goodman in Denmark and Switzerland.

Meija's artistic specialization centers on flute performance and chamber music, demonstrated through decades of orchestral work with Latvia's premier ensembles and international collaborations. Her performance philosophy emphasizes expressive woodwind quintet interpretation and orchestral repertoire mastery, informed by experience as concertmaster for the Latvian National Opera Orchestra and State Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga.

Key honors include:

• 1st place at A. Jurjāns Wind and Percussion Instruments Competition (1991)
• Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra selection (1994)

As an educator, she mentors emerging flutists across Latvian institutions while conducting master classes internationally from Maastricht to Pärnu. Her chamber music collaborations with artists like Jautrīte Putniņa and Pēteris Plakidis have yielded significant recordings including 'Other Colors' (2016) and 'Shadow Games on the River' (2021), reflecting her commitment to contemporary Baltic repertoire.