Ivana LOUDOVA graduated in composition from the Prague Conservatory (1961), and then entered the Academy of Music and Performing Arts, where she was a pupil of the outstanding representatives of modern Czech music, Miloslav Kabelac and Emil Hlobil (1961-66). She continued her graduate studies at the Academy of Performing Arts (completed in 1972 under the leadership of M. Kabeláč) and Paris, where he studied with Olivier Messiaen and Andre Jolivet. Since 1972 she has devoted herself to composing as a freelancer. She has won several prizes in national and international composition competitions (Jihlava, Jirkov, Olomouc, Prague, Mannheim, Arezzo, Moscow, Verona, Pittsburgh, etc.), including the Heidelberg Art Prize for 1993. She led composition classes in the USA, Germany and Austria. Since 1992 Ivana Loudova has been teaching composition at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Prague (1992-94 assistant, 1994 docent in composition and music theory, 2006 appointed professor of composition). In 1996 she founded there "Studio N" - Studio for contemporary music with intention of organizing special concerts, workshops and extraordinary events for students.

At the beginning of her career as a composer she obtained an honourable mention in GEDOK international competition at Mannheim for the compositon Rhapsody in Black, three times she was the winner in the competition Quido d Arezzo in Italy (1978) - Sonetto per voci bianche, 1980 - Benedetto sia l giorno from the Italian Triptych, 1984 - Occhi lucenti e belli), a dozen prizes were won for her choral compositions of the Festival of choral production at Jihlava and in the competition of children' s choral works at Jirkov: further prizes she was awarded in the international radio competition in Moscow 1978 (Little Christmas Cantata) and on the festival "Redletter Days of Songs" at Olomouc 1983 (Songs about the Rose).
Music of Ivana Loudova finds favour with both interpreters and listeners, a lot of titles have been published by the publishing houses abroad (Edition Peters, G. Schirmer, Inc.., BIM Editions, Editio Bärenreiter, Schott Music International, etc.) and some compositions were world-premiered abroad, e.g. in the USA (Chorale - 1971, Hymnos - 1973, Dramatic Concerto - 1980, Luminous Voice - 1986), in Switzerland (Partita in D - 1977), in Italy (Sonetto per voci bianche - 1979).

In Czech music Ivana Loudová is one of the few recognized women composers that have successfully established themselves in composing and teaching field. Many of her compositions were published both in Czech Republic (e.g. CHF, PA, Editio Supraphon, Praha Editio Bärenreiter Praha) and abroad (Edition Peters, G. Schirmer, Inc., BIM Editions, Editio Bärenreiter, Schott Music International).  
The bulk of her works was recorded by many distinguished Czech and foreign interpreters and abroad. Panton issued in 1998 her profile on a CD ‚Protokol XX series‘ which contains her representative works such as Rhapsody in Black, Gnómai, Nocturne for Viola and Strings, Spleen. Hommage à Charles Baudelaire for Orchestra, String Quartet No. 2, Concerto for percussion, organ and orchestra of wind instruments. Recently there was published a double CD with her compositions for solo instruments and duos (Music for One, Music for Two, P 2009). Two of her chamber compositions were mandatory works at the International Music Competition at the Prague Spring Festival -  Sonata Angelica for trombone and piano (1999) and Canto solitaria for violin solo (2003). The first performances of her works are often held abroad - String Quartet No. 3 "Renaissance" was premiered in 2002 in the Arab Muscat (Sultanate of Oman), song cycle Lunovis at the Salzburg Festival (Autumn 2005), the Sinfonia numerica at the Prague Spring Festival in 2006. Several of her choral compositions entered the repertoire of girls' choir Permoník. Ivana Loudová is also often invited to participate in international competition juries (the European Youth Music Festival in Belgium Neerpelt, International Composition Competition for young composers, Bratislava, etc.). 

Compositional style

During her studies she has soon acquired the compositional means of then New Music, the modal system, aleatorics, timbre technique etc. She does not, however, orientate herself exclusively in one direction, but conforms above all to the mission and content of each single work. She looks for an access of her own to the chosen subject and instigation. As early as during her study she used to transform traditional elements in her own way (e.g. in the Sonata for violin and piano). As soon as she got to know more deeply the possibilities of new techniques, she takes functionally and confidently advantage of their principles. The compositions of Ivana Loudova comprises both orchestral and chamber forms, largely represented is vocal production, too. Equally as the range of genres is variegated, introducing side by side works with monumental features, compositions of experimental nature and even simply conceived pieces for children, also her inspiration instances are diversified. One of the conditions for her creation is a strong captivation by the subject which must be in perfect harmony with the author's inner string. Ivana Loudova's favourite inspirational source is besides others the Italian Renaissance poetry some texts of which were bases for several vocal cycles of hers (Meeting with Love, Italien Triptych and others). Equally is she able to become enthusiastic about the medieval Latin sequence (Stabat mater), but also about contemporary poetic texts. Her compositions often possess a strong dramatic vein (the vocal fresco Kurosio, Dramatic Concerto and others). In her instrumental works she issues from the masterful technique of foremost soloists of chamber ensembles, as evidenced by a vast register of chamber works. In a whole series of compositions the authoress has discovered the charm and new potentialities of percussion instruments (Hymnos, three concertos with solo part of percussions, Agamemnon, etc.), equally as her creative type takes a fancy in a more forcible sound of wind instruments (Magic Concerto, Luminous Voice, Per tromba, Quintetto guibiloso, The Sleeping Landscape, etc.). It is also characteristic that the whole creative activity is accompanied by compositions for children - choruses, cantatas, successions, instructive compositions - which suggest the authoress‘ s  looking for a corrective for her aggressive style. Taking part in a number of composer competitions has brought the authoress outstanding appreciations.