Imola Joó Was Born on May 30, 1942 in Budapest

CV Imola Joó

Imola Joó was born on May 30, 1942 in Budapest.

She felt quite lonely among her five brothers, even though her family´s apartment was at times populated by up to 12 relatives and family members.

Her mother, who at that time was already teaching children of the neighbourhood, started teaching her as a piano teacher at the age of nine. After a short while she judged the situation to be hopeless, which is why she stopped the experiment.

The family often attended concerts, orchestral rehearsals, experiences which left a great impression on Imola. Symphonies and piano concertos by Beethoven prompted her to put her enthusiasm into words. These writings of hers accidentally got into her mother´s hands, whereupon she started teaching her again.

This is how, following a successful entrance examination, Imola enrolled at the Béla Bartók School of Musical Arts (1957). Having graduated there with exellent results, she participated in the entrance examination at the Academy of Musical Arts (having graduated at the Budapest Music High School in 1961). After a negative result, she attended school for one year as a further education. She subsequently tried the entrance examination once again, however again without result.

In February 1964 she was admitted to the academic discipline of piano of the then Academy of Music in Vienna. Under difficult circumstances, she finished the Music Pedagogy and Piano Concert Classes, both with excellent results (1971, Academic degree of Magister Artium). Immediately she was offered a position at the institution, now functioning as a University, as a professor for the minor subject of piano. Meanwhile she had married student István Zimre, who was a Hungarian refugee. In 1972, their son Áron was born.

In 1976, Imola took over a class for “special talents“ at the University. In the same year, she got divorced from her husband.

Together with her new husband, Lutheran pastor Pál Fónyad, she moved to the parish of the 7th district of Vienna in 1977.

In 1980Victoria, and in 1983 Gábor were born. In 1986 she got divorced from her second husband.

Imola worked, beside her position as a professor at the University, also at seminars, presentations, made courses (Japan, Korea, etc.), and wrote articles. In 2000, after a long period, she had a public appearance again (with the Dinu Lipatti Symphonic Orchestra of Satu Mare, Romania). Since then, she has had several performances in different orchestral concerts, even in the Grand Hall of the Musikverein of Vienna (Mozart´s C Major Piano Conerto).

In 2004 she habilitated at the University of Music, having since then the status as a University Professor.