WIU Violinist, String Quartet to Take Part in National Music Competition

University News

Vlad Hontilă
[Download Print-Quality Image]

WIU Violinist, String Quartet to Take Part in National Music Competition

February 23, 2017

Share |

Video by: Phil Weiss University Television

MACOMB, IL – When Western Illinois University student Vlad Hontilă walks on stage with his violin and bow to perform at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) competition Baltimore, MD, in March, the sophomore music major will not be alone.

As Hontilă begins to play the first of four musical pieces, he will be the only person on the stage, but he will be surrounded by the lessons learned from his father, Claudiu Hontilă, a well-known violinist from Romania, those learned from his WIU Associate Professor Julieta Mihai and others from all of those who have influenced his musical development.

Vlad said the MTNA competition has been his first since coming to the United States to study at Western. His sister, Luciana, is also a music major at Western.

The sophomore music major from Transylvania, Romania won the state competition in November in Bloomington, IL, and the regional competition in January in Mt. Pleasant, MI, to move on to the national arena. In the regional contest, Vlad competed against a field that included doctoral students.

In preparation, Vlad said he is working on the details of his musical selections.

"It felt amazing [when I was named the winner] It's more intense, knowing that the competition at the national level will be much more stiff," Vlad said. "My repertoire, with all four pieces, is 30 minutes of music."

In addition to competing individually, Vlad will compete with the WIU President's International String Quartet, which also qualified for the MTNA nationals.

In Baltimore, Vlad will compete against seven other regional winners, which Mihai said are all from larger schools, which have a tradition of violin playing for a number of years.

"I'm very glad he gets to have this very big experience," she said. "I was very proud [of his regional win]. I was waiting by the phone and when I got the message it was a very exhilarating moment. I knew that he worked hard, so I did expect beautiful results, but it's always a thrill when you know your strongest wishes take shape."

Vlad said he chose to come to Western for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to work with Mihai.

"At first I didn't know too many details about this University; it was very spontaneous," he said. "My sister came here three years ago and she told me, 'it's a great University and you should come and try.' I took this opportunity; I say 'opportunity' because I was offered a very good, unique scholarship for four years. I really feel very fortunate for having the chance to perform with the WIU President's International String Quartet."

Mihai was a colleague of Vlad's father, who is a violinist in one of the main Romanian orchestras in Cluj.

"We have a lot of history in common," she said. "The fact that he trusted me with his daughter and his son makes me very, very happy and proud. It's a very big responsibility for me."

Vlad said when he was a child, he made the initial decision to begin playing the violin because he enjoyed the way his father played.

"First, my sister started, and then I started, and then everything grew," he said. "I realized this will be the job I will have for the rest of my life."

Mihai said the playing style of Vlad and his sister is very similar to that of their father.

"Claudiu Hontilă has an astounding sound, an absolutely exquisite sound," she said.

Prior to Vlad's national qualification, Western's School of Music has one winner of the MTNA national competition. Ion-Alexandru Malaimare, a graduate student in violin performance from Romania, won the national competition in 2014 and was also one of Mihai's students. WIU alumna Hillary Brunner also previously won the national competition, playing the oboe.

Vlad said after graduation from Western he would like to continue his graduate studies in the United States.

The MTNA is a nonprofit organization comprised of 22,000 independent and collegiate music teachers committed to advancing the value of music study and music making to society and to supporting the professionalism of music teachers. Founded in 1876, the MTNA is the oldest professional music association in the United States.

For more information about the WIU School of Music, visit wiu.edu/cofac/music.