Vlad Hontila was born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and began playing the violin at the age of seven. From an early age, he demonstrated exceptional talent, dedication, and ambition, participating in National Olympiads and the J.S. Bach National Violin Competition, where he won first and second prizes for five consecutive years.

In 2015, Vlad received the President’s International String Quartet Scholarship, a full scholarship that brought him to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Music in Performance at Western Illinois University, where he studied with Dr. Julieta Mihai. During his four years there, he served as Concertmaster of both the Chamber and Symphony Orchestras.

In 2019, Vlad was awarded the prestigious Robert Mann Endowed Scholarship for Violin and Chamber Studies at Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Lucie Robert. After completing his master’s degree, he continued his studies in the Professional Studies program for an additional year. During his three years at MSM, he was selected as Concertmaster for multiple orchestral cycles under maestro George Manahan. He also studied chamber music with Peter Winograd and Nicholas Mann and won the Lilian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition with two different ensembles. In 2022, he received the Kraeuter Musical Foundation Award for excellence in chamber music performance. That same year, Vlad joined the Chamber Orchestra of New York, becoming part of what he describes as both a team and a family. He began his journey with the orchestra as Assistant Principal Second Violin and has recently been appointed Principal Second Violin, a role that reflects his continued growth and commitment to the ensemble.

2025 was a big year for Vlad. He won his first professional orchestral audition with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, where he continues to perform as a first violinist. That same year, he was appointed Principal Second Violin of the Lake Placid Sinfonietta, where he performs every summer for six weeks. He has also been invited to serve as Assistant Concertmaster with the Opera Company of Middlebury in Vermont.

Now based in both Birmingham and New York City, Vlad performs actively as an orchestral violinist, chamber musician, and soloist. He has appeared at some of the most renowned venues in the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, Madison Square Garden, and Radio City Music Hall.

His lifelong passion for chamber music and solo repertoire continues to shape his artistic growth, curiosity, and exploration, both on and off the stage.