Vera Ivanova was born in Moscow. She holds degrees from the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory (Honours Diploma in Composition), the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (MMus with distinction in Composition), and the Eastman School of Music (Ph.D. in Composition).

Prior to teaching at Chapman University, she served as Assistant Professor of Theory and Composition during 2006-07 at the Setnor School of Music of Syracuse University.

Dr. Ivanova is a recipient of numerous international prizes, awards and scholarships, among them are the Sproull Fellowship towards Ph.D. studies at Eastman, the Gwyn Ellis Bequest Scholarship towards MMus studies at Guildhall School, Moscow Culture Committee grant, Honourable mention at the 28th Bourges Electro-Acoustic Competition, and 3rd Prize at the 8th International Mozart Competition including publication with Universal Edition (Vienna). Among her compositions are orchestral, theatrical, chamber, and electroacoustic works, which have been performed in Russia, Europe and the U.S.A. (Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Weill Hall in New York).

Her recent achievements include: the 1st Prize in Category “A” at International Contest of Acousmatic Compositions Métamorphoses 2004 (Belgium); the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Award and Honorable Mentions; the Howard Hanson Orchestra Prize, Louis Lane Ensemble Prize and Belle Gitelman Award from the Eastman School of Music; selection as a finalist for the 2005 University of Aberdeen Music Prize held jointly with the BBC Scottish Orchestra and BBC Radio 3 and the André Chevillion-Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize at the 8th International Piano Competition at Orleans (France).

Her music is available in print from Universal Edition, on CD from Musiques & Recherches (Métamorphoses 2004), on-line from Spectrum Press at: http://spectrumpress.com/newmusic, and on her website at: www.veraivanova.com.