IU Serbian guitarist wins competitions, teaches

For Nemanja Ostojic, the classical guitar is a way of life.

Having originally started on the violin at 6 years old, Ostojic decided to switch to classical guitar when he was 10. He said he wanted more strings and switched to guitar to be cool around his friends. Little did he know he would be playing 15 years later on scholarship and winning international competitions all over the world – four in the past year.

As a second-year master’s student, Ostojic juggles coursework, competitions, recitals and lectures and is an associate instructor for the guitar department, as well as a teacher in the pre-college guitar program.

FRESH OFF THE BOAT

After growing up in Serbia, Ostojic came to the United States a year and a half ago, mainly because of Ernesto Bitetti, the Jacobs School of Music guitar department chair. After he auditioned, Bitetti said he could provide a great scholarship, and Ostojic said there was no way he could refuse.

Ostojic said adjusting to the different language system was the hardest part about the move, and starting somewhere new proved to be a challenge.

COMPETITION MODE

Since becoming part of the Jacobs School of Music, Ostojic has won four international competitions, including the 11th Annual Competition in the Performance of Music from Spain and Latin America at IU, the 2008 Schadt String Competition in Allentown, Pa., the 7th Texas Guitar Competition at the University of Texas at Dallas and most recently, the Southwest Guitar Festival in San Antonio.

Along with a long list of other wins, Ostojic has performed all over the world in places such as Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and Germany.  

With competitions every so often, the settings and the mood are constantly changing.

“I don’t like the competition setting. I feel that musicians need to be in a relaxed and smooth environment,” Ostojic said. “When you are competing, it turns into a sport. But young artists need to go through them to break into the industry.”

Ostojic studies under the renowned classical guitarist Bitetti, who has been his main mentor and teacher since Ostojic came to the United States. When searching for competitions to get involved with, the two often look together and decide which will be the best fit.

“We talk about what competitions he should be going to and the repertoire he should be playing that will help further his career,” Bitetti said.

While Ostojic said there aren’t many guitar competitions around, he tries to go to as many as he can, but the choice depends on the prize and what they offer. Ostojic knows how to stand out in each competition he enters.

“I just play as good and as clean as I can and give my own expression of the music,” Ostojic said.

HIGHEST HONORS

In 2004, Ostojic had his big breakthrough when he was asked to substitute for John Williams, a Grammy award-winning classical guitarist, as a soloist in the Guitar Art Festival in Belgrade, Serbia.

“It was a huge concert hall – over 3,000 seats – and here I was, this 20-year-old guy,” Ostojic said.

Along with his successes around the world, Ostojic has also gained fame at IU, where
he recently auditioned for the artist’s diploma program, intended for outstanding performers and designed for them to concentrate their studies in appropriate repertoire for their instruments. Ostojic said only three people in the entire school received this honor.

“I am really working hard to finish my degree and am just working hard in the future to maintain the balance of my personal career and playing,” Ostojic said.

By serving as a private instructor, he’s able to help other IU students reach their goals and succeed like he has.

“He is the best classical guitar player I’ve ever heard or seen,”  junior Adam Cantor, one of Ostojic’s students, said. “He is a really laid-back person and he cracks a lot of jokes, which you don’t see in a lot of musicians today.”

TO THE FUTURE

With four wins since he has come to the United States, Ostojic’s supporters said they believe that he is well on his way to making a name for himself and has secured a future in the guitar world.

“He is a really excellent guitarist, one of the best classical guitarists in the States,” Bitetti said. “I am glad that he has matured here. He is very young and has a lot to accomplish in his years.”

While there is no stopping him, Ostojic continues to hope for more wins in the future to prove that he can still fulfill his dreams and gain as much knowledge as possible.

“When he has a guitar,” Cantor said, “amazing things happen.”