Biography
Adrienn Illes started her musical education on the piano at age seven. Years later, she took up the harpsichord and fell in love with it instantly – partially thanks to her inspiring teacher Szilvia Elek.
Adrienn studied at Liszt Ferenc Music Academy in Budapest under Borbála Dobozy, where she attained her BA with Honours in 2017. She undertook an Erasmus exchange at HMT Leipzig, working with Nicholas Parle on harpsichord and Tobias Schade on clavichord. She continued her studies with a Masters at UdK Berlin under Mitzi Meyerson, where she graduated in 2020. Adrienn completed a second Masters in basso continuo at HfK Bremen in 2024, working with Carsten Lohff on harpsichord and Edoardo Bellotti on organ.
She has attended numerous masterclasses, including at the Académie Musicale de Villecroze (2015, with Blandine Rannou), Hudebni lahudky (2016, with Aline Zylberajch and Barbara Maria Willi), Piccola Accademia (2016, with Richard Egarr and 2017, with Pierre Hantai), Academie Gli Incogniti (2018, with Amandine Beyer and Anna Fontana), Göteborg International Organ Academy (2021) and European Hanseatic Ensemble (2023).
Beyond several scholarships (e.g., from the Ad Infinitum Foundation, DAAD, Lucia-Loeser Stiftung, and Kornowicz-Stiftung), Adrienn has won the Young Musician of Budafok and Young Talents of Hungary Prizes, bestowed by the Hungarian Ministry of Human Resources.
She is co-founder of the Ensemble Fulcrum and Les Louisettes. With the former she won third prize at the XXVII. Premio Bonporti in Rovereto, Italy (1st & 2nd prizes were not assigned). She has played with Musica Sequenza (led by Burak Özdemir), Ensemble Metatron (led by Monika Toth), Sinfonietta Pannonica, Le Maschere Galanti, Q Ensemble Berlin, and Purcell Choir&Orfeo Orchestra (led by György Vashegyi), among others.
Adrienn was selected for the Atelier of Musikfest Bremen (2022 with Vox Luminis, 2023 with Alfredo Bernardini and Alessandro Quarta), for the Bach Academy with Le concert de l’Hostel Dieu (2023), and the French Academy in Wroclaw with Skip Sempé and Capriccio Stravagante (2024). As a duo with David Agaiarov, she performed at the Utrecht Early Musik Fringe Festival. She has performed in the Musikfest Erzgebirge, Alte Musik Fest Friedenau, Hungarian State Opera House, and Ars Sacra Festival as well.
She is currently researching female composers who wrote early and new music for harpsichord – both discovering and promoting this repertoire. From 2025 intern at Sophie Drinker Institut.
She has premiered numerous new music pieces in concert and theater and possesses many years of solo and choir singing experience.
Adrienn regularly performs baroque dance and, from 2017, is member of the Historischer Tanz Berlin under Jutta Voß.
In conjunction with her musical studies, she obtained a BA in Japanese Language and Culture. The traditional art of this Eastern culture continues to fascinate her.
She is also active as piano accompanist and teacher.