James Stroud

Classical Guitar Competition

2025

presented by the

Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival®

and hosted by the

Cleveland Institute of Music

Dragos Ilie (Rumania) Romanian guitarist Dragos Ilie has delighted audiences across Europe, Asia, and the United States with his charismatic dynamic performances. His dedication to the art of guitar performance has led him to receive numerous grants for competing, performing, and studying in his home country and abroad. After receiving the prestigious Wooddruff Award Dragos Ilie went on to complete his Bachelor studies at Columbus State University's Schwob School of Music under composer and pedagogue Andrew Zohn.
 
Dragos Ilie has placed in over 40 international classical guitar competitions and won more than 20 Grand Prizes. Some of these competitions include the Koblenz International Festival, Changsha International Guitar Festival, and the Tokyo International Guitar Competition. He has been featured in Classical Guitar Magazine, Gendai Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, as well as in a series of Tonebase lessons and workshops.

His performances with orchestras include the “Transylvania” State Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Radio Orchestra of Romania. He is also an active chamber musician. In 2021 he joined the Austin Guitar Quartet, and in the summer of 2022 he embarked on the “Stradivarius Tour - Paganini Magic” along with the celebrated Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu.

Passionate about integrating Romanian repertory within the global music scene, Dragos Ilie has made a recording which blends both arrangements (works of Porumbescu, Bartók ) and works of living Romanian composers. This album, which also contains music from around the world was recorded with support from Romanian National Radio is soon to be released.  

Website: dragosilie.com/