Irena Grafenauer, born on June 19, 1957 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, was a notable flute player and soloist. She began her musical education at age eight and graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana in 1974. Grafenauer won First Prize in international competitions in Belgrade (1974), Geneva (1978), and Munich (1979). From 1977 to 1987, she was the principal flautist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Rafael Kubelik and Colin Davis. In October 1987, Grafenauer became a Professor at the Salzburg Mozarteum. She toured extensively across Europe, the United States, Japan, and Australia, performing regularly at Gidon Kremer’s Lockenhaus Festival since 1981. Grafenauer recorded exclusively for the Philips label, releasing Flute Gala in Versailles (1990).
