Dora Cojocaru studied composition, piano and pedagogy at the Gh. Dima Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca/Romania and at the Music Academy in Cologne/Germany. She obtained a Ph.D. in musicology with a thesis about Gy. Ligeti, published in 1999. Besides this work, Dora Cojocaru wrote a book on Mozart’s Haydn Quartets and several articles printed in musical journals.
For her achievements, Dora Cojocaru has been awarded several prizes and grants (Paul Sacher, Gaudeamus, D.A.A.D., European Community, Heinrich Böll, Atelierhaus Worpswede, Stadtmühle Willisau, Canada Council of the Arts, Conseil des arts et des letters du Québec etc.). Her compositions are performed worldwide and published by Mueller&Schade AG in Switzerland and on several CDs.
As an associate professor, Dora Cojocaru thought composition, music history and theory in Romania and was invited to give courses, workshops and conferences in several European countries. She also was a jury member for different artistic competitions and collaborated with the Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Germany. Since 2002, she gives courses and lectures at different academic institutions in Montreal (McGill University, Concordia University, LAMBDA, Pierrefonds Cultural Centre) and continues her career as a free-lance composer and teacher. Her students are today accomplished artists or enthusiastic music lovers.