Biography

From an early age, Inna Onofrei imagined following in her grandfather’s footsteps as a visual artist. Yet as her creative journey unfolded, she discovered a more profound and resonant medium of expression—one that allowed her to paint not with pigments on canvas, but with sound that lingers and shapes the air itself. As she often reflects, “My hands are my brushes, sound is my paint, and air is my canvas.”

 

Onofrei is an Armenian-American composer, pianist, and educator based in Cleveland. Her body of work spans music for piano, voice, choir, chamber ensembles, orchestra, and electronic media, and has been performed across the United States and Europe. Her artistry has been recognized by the Stavropol State Competition for Young Composers, KatePublishing, and the HerVoice Competition, among others. In 1997, her composition for Nevinnomyssk was adopted as the city’s official anthem.

 

She holds master’s degrees in piano performance and composition from Cleveland State University, where she studied with Grammy Award–winning pianist Angelin Chang. Dedicated to both artistry and education, Onofrei continues to create original works while inspiring the next generation of musicians through piano, composition, and theory.