NYC-based cellist, singer, and improviser Iva Casian-Lakoš is a first-generation American of Mexican-Croatian descent. She performs across the US and Europe with interdisciplinary, genre-bending ensembles Synesthetic Project, Ensemble Illyrica, eco|tonal, and Unheard-of//Ensemble. Iva’s versatile repertoire ranges from classical cello to boundary-stretching new works involving choreography, singing, acting, improvisation, and more.

In the 2022-23 season, Iva will perform with Bang on a Can All-Stars and Sasha Waltz & Guests in Concertgebouw Brugge (BE) and Big Idea #2 (Rotterdam, NL). She is also touring in Austria, Croatia, and the Czech Republic with European ensembles Synesthetic Project and Ensemble Illyrica. As the newly appointed cellist of Unheard-of//Ensemble, Iva will also tour in New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Iva is also making appearances with PinkNoise Ensemble in Davis, California, and Wavefield Ensemble in New York.

Iva collaborated with legendary vocalist and composer Joan La Barbara on a new work for singing-cellist commissioned by Bang on a Can and performed at their virtual marathon, Long Play Festival, and Noguchi Museum series. She has also worked with composers Christopher Stark, David Crowell, Wang Lu, Mak Murtić, and Erika Dohi. Iva enjoys collaborations with visual artists, videographers, and dancers in interdisciplinary projects, often via the Vienna-based artist collective Synesthetic Project.

In 2017, she co-founded Zagreb-based Ensemble Illyrica, a chamber ensemble which performs classical repertoire alongside folk-based music and newly commissioned works. Hailed for their “creative ecstasy, freshness, tonal harmony and rhythmic clarity,” (Novi List) Illyrica has performed in major venues and festivals across Ireland, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia, such as Lednice-Valtice Music Festival, Wiener Musikverein, Zagreb Biennale, Scena Amadeo, Kultursommer Wien, Festival Arsana, and Hvar Summer Festival. Illyrica released their first classical album on Hitchtone Music in 2022.

As a chamber musician, Iva was also invited to Constellation Chicago, Crosstown Arts (Memphis, TN), Guild Hall Museum (East Hampton), Rites of Spring (Southold, NY), Versipel New Music (New Orleans), Hidalgo Festival (Munich, DE), IMS Prussia Cove (Cornwall, UK), Barnes Ensemble (Philadelphia), and Vivo Music Festival (Columbus, OH).

Iva won top prizes in national competitions, such as Hellam Young Artists Competition, and gave concerto performances with Columbus Symphony Orchestra, New Albany Symphony, and SEO Symphony Orchestra. Recent awards include the 2023 New England Conservatory Alumni Award and the 2023 Queens Art Fund.

She has collaborated with members of JACK, Emerson, Argus, Calidore, and Ying quartets in chamber performances, and appeared in concert halls around the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center (Bruno Walter Auditorium), Kennedy Center (Millennium Stage), and Jordan Hall.

In 2022, Iva received her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University. She was awarded the 2022 Presidential Dissertation Completion Fellowship, as well as the 2022 Distinguished Travel Award, and 2019 Ackerman Chamber Music Award. She was teaching assistant to Colin Carr and taught the undergraduate cello studio.

In 2019, Iva was invited to lecture at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, where she gave “an excellent performance” and “enlightening lecture” (SCGP News) on Ruth Crawford’s String Quartet “1931”. Iva has also presented workshops and masterclasses at Columbia University, UC Davis, Oberlin Conservatory, Kent State, University of Texas-San Antonio, Brooklyn College, University of New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana University, Chattanooga State Community College, University of Georgia, University of Tennessee, Illinois State, Washington U St. Louis, and Bowling Green University for the KEAR residency. Iva serves as faculty at Vassar College, Musart Music, and Unheard-of’s annual composer workshop, CCI//Sessions.

Iva also holds a BM from Oberlin Conservatory and MM from New England Conservatory. Her mentors include Colin Carr, Amir Eldan, Natasha Brofsky, Gustavo Tavares, Silvija Sondeckiene, Dobrila Berkovic-Magdalenic, Paul Watkins, and Lluis Claret.