RAAD, Ilona

Ilona Raad studied piano for a few months before continuing as a self-taught musician. After a twenty-year hiatus, she resumed playing with the encouragement of her son, Tristan, who urged her to compose after hearing some of her tentative improvisations. Following Tristan’s death, she decided to pursue her son’s dream – a choice that brought her solace in her grief. As a practicing psychiatrist, she lacked the time to undertake formal studies in harmony; instead, she chose to compose by ear, basing her work on improvisations. She submitted three of her waltzes to the Swiss Female Composers Festival, where they were selected and performed in Zurich and at subsequent events.