upper waypoint
The California Report Magazine

Ioana Gandrabur Is Not 'The Blind Guitarist'

Gandrabur was the only blind kid in a sighted school, and says she felt special, but also segregated. 'And then all of a sudden through music, I felt like I had a way to reach people,' she says.
Sam Harnett
03:48
Ioana was born blind and has been making music since she was just a few years old. (Sam Harnett/KQED)

Ioana Gandrabur is a classical guitarist who also happens to be blind. Grandrabur is originally from Romania, but she now lives in Montreal. She recently came to the Bay Area to play a few local concerts and get paired with a new guide dog at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael.

While here, she met with Sam Harnett to play some music, discuss her career and talk about how she manages the attention she gets as a blind guitarist.

This story comes to us from Chris Hoff and Sam Harnett of The World According to Sound podcast. They’re partnering with the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco to help us  reimagine California in the rich way blind people experience it every day. The project has additional support from California Humanities.

lower waypoint
next waypoint
Player sponsored by