“Throughout the author’s writings, a Romanian archetypal ethos permeates, with a modern direction in its utterance. If there is a secret to his writing, I believe it is tied to the reevaluation of relationships with tradition: it is music anchored in deep roots in Byzantine and folkloric past, but with its face turned towards contemporary practices. Thus, even Aristotle’s ideals regarding the necessity of speaking through a work about its place and time of creation are fulfilled.”

Dan VOICULESCU – Romanian composer, musicologist, pianist, and university professor

“Viorel Munteanu is one of those who bring to the secular Iași, signs of a new compositional school, perfectly individualized in the contemporary landscape. Anchored in the Moldovan soil, absorbing strength from the manuscripts of Putna, bringing into the staves laden with knowledge, constructive rigor, innovative search, the desire to pass the ramp, all the fragrances of Moldova.”

Iosif SAVA – Romanian musicologist

“I will always note that we are dealing with an authentic contemporary composer! A melodist of noble lyricism, intimately connected to the world of chromatic modalism, generated in the past by Anton Pann and George Enescu and, in our days, by Aurel Stroe, Tiberiu Olah, Anatol Vieru, Ştefan Niculescu, Liviu Glodeanu, Mihai Moldovan, Octav Nemescu – Viorel Munteanu has infused our folklore with a profound poetic fervor, traversed by extremely varied rhythms and a polychromy of intonational shades, in harmony with a laconic form par excellence, where the “principle of continuous variety” often asserts itself. Viorel Munteanu is a lyricist who occasionally continues the final phase of George Enescu’s compositional legacy. He has not neglected either Byzantine or psaltic melody in works inspired by our tragic history.”

Doru POPOVICI – Romanian composer, musicologist, and writer

“Viorel MUNTEANU, born on May 2, 1944, in the village of Reuseni, Suceava County, is one of the most popular Romanian composers in his homeland. A student of Vasile Spătărelu, Gheorghe Ciobanu, Roman Vlad, he typically represents an important line in Romanian culture concerning its traditional side: the contact with folklore, Byzantine music, with significant figures in history and art, such as Ștefan cel Mare, Eminescu, Enescu. Lyrical, inventive, always open to new ideas, sometimes coming from different directions, avoiding aggressive modernism but not refusing some of its suggestions, Munteanu knows how to write music that is enjoyable to perform, evoking admiration and sympathy. He is also an tireless activist in the best sense of the word in the compositional, didactic, and organizational fields, with his beneficial influence extending to both his students and the institutions where he has worked or led. If Țăranu represents Cluj, respectively Transylvania in the concert of Romanian provinces, Munteanu represents Iași, respectively Moldova.”

Corneliu Dan Georgescu – composer and ethnomusicologist

“… in the sense of great spiritual ties and, I dare say, of great artistic friendships, the relationship between Roman Vlad and his exegete, Viorel Munteanu, is biunivocal, as if it were resonating, in a space of continuity, to the communion of thought and soul established between Roman Vlad and Igor Stravinsky. There are numerous proofs of Roman Vlad’s appreciation for Viorel Munteanu’s oeuvre. I will merely stop at one of the most relevant, recorded by Dorin Speranţia in “Interviu imaginar” [“Imaginary Interview”] (see: Introducere în opera lui Roman Vlad [An Introduction to Roman Vlad’s Oeuvre]).

After listening to the Voices of Putna, Roman Vlad says to Viorel Munteanu: “… This composition is entirely different, it approaches the Byzantine manner differently, it is particularly beautiful and well done – I have the score in front of me – and if you have been awarded the Academy Prize, I would have given it to you myself, I would have given you all the prizes! Hearing it has given me great pleasure’.”

Gheorghe DUŢICĂ, Reflecţii despre un muzicolog [Reflections on a musicologist], in “Cronica” Magazine No. 5, May 1999