Vollmaier

Photo: Nika Hölcl Praper

New(s)

Sunday, 1 September 2024

Vollmaier (solo)

On 30th of August we created a performance,
solo piano concert in the gravel pit called Marald-Marsel
in Radlje ob Dravi, with a support of Cultural Association Radlje,
Ministry of Culture Slovenia, ArsFest and Yamaha

Friday, 29 March 2024

Udovič/Avsenik/Vollmaier:Klasje (Wheat)

"From forests and autumn pastures,
from glaciers and from yellow wheat,
it should flow through all the senses
into our life, strength, spirit, meaning, value." 
(H. Hesse)

Tuesday, 23 May 2023

Vollmaier:Ligeti

A new project, piano recital* premiered on
11th of April 2023 in Gallus hall of Cankarjev dom (SI). 
Vollmaier invites his closest collaborators.
They created an audio/visual performance,
which is based on Ligeti's and Beuys's work. 

Saturday, 8 April 2023

Vollmaier:Feng Cha

On 7th of April 2023, Vollmaier releases a single,
which is a part of "Vollmaier:Ligeti" piano recital.

Monday, 13 March 2023

Yamaha Artist

Vollmaier's artistic contribution has been noted
at one of the world's renowned piano manufactors
(and other musical instruments) - Yamaha.

Photo: Tina Princ

Vollmaier: Kind of Laibach

Vollmaier: Kind of Laibach (2020)
Vollmaier: Kind of Laibach (2020)

Release date: 19/06/2020
Genre: Contemporary classic
Formats: CD / Vinyl /  Digital
Label: Nika
Listen
Buy LP 
Buy CD

"The piano ain't got no wrong notes."
Thelonious Monk 

"Agree with that. But Laibach ain’t got no right notes either."
Laibach 

Imagine what it would be to carve out a piano classic from the 'industrial' monolithic Laibach sound structure. Vollmaier does not tackle this challenge, as one might expect, through preparation or electronic interventions, but by seeking inspiration from the virtuoso pianists Glenn Gould and Vladimir Horowitz, as well as in one of his professors (formerly an associate of the Laibach band as well) Aci Bertoncelj. He is faithful to the original music by testing the extreme limits of both the performer and instrument. Laibach's linear rigor breaks precisely with industrial precision and physical perseverance, but the final result is, surprisingly, even more monolithic, though an absolutely subtle structure, woven only with the black and white keys of an elegant machine, a concert piano which is for Vollmaier larger than life. 



link: concert at 61. Jazz festival Ljubljana in Cankarjev dom (short version, 30min)
(Kind of Laibach was prepared and rehearsed in Japan piano center in Ljubljana) 

Streaming

Photo: Nika Hölcl Praper

Biography

Sašo Vollmaier (1982), pianist, composer, performer, voice teacher 

Vollmaier graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana (Slovenia) in 2008. In 2003 he meets "Pantheatre" (Paris, FR). This collaboration opened new area and possibilities about the voice work which he followed after as an accompanist for singers, worked in Slovene National Theatre in Maribor - opera department, teaching in different musical institutions and playing with several musicians in different musical formations.

He joined the Slovenian avant-garde music group Laibach in 2007 - 2013 as a keyboard player. The experience with Laibach was crucial in understanding the elements of the industrial music, curiosity about politics, awareness of oneself and the opportunity to express himself in this particular musical genre.

In 2013 he moved to France for personal and professional development.

Vollmaier meets Viviane Gay in Paris, an actress&singer with whom he started to create music-theatre-pieces and developing his presence on the stage as performer trough his voice, movement and music.

The voice work brought him to Malérargues (Centre Artistique International Roy Hart) again where he started to give classes, collaborating with other voice teachers and giving the concerts and performances.  In the same year he begins the project called "Generation" as a musical director with performers/singers: Kaya Anderson, Carol Mendelsohn, Marianne Le Tron, Ian Magilton, Saule Ryan and David Goldsworthy. This project allowed him to meet the Roy Hart Theatre in terms of the power of the presence, fragility, expression, authenticity, curiosity…

In autumn 2014 he started to teach in Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo (IT) invited by Kevin Crawford, MFA program director. Vollmaier teaches musical aspects, encourages the students to invent their own language, working on presence, voice and movement. This structure allows him to define his direction. 

In the same year he started to collaborate with Susanne Weins, giving the voice/movement workshops in Düsseldorf and creating their own theatre productions (Bewegte Oktaven, Fragile Breath, Melancholia,…) most of them directed by Sabine Seume.

He works as a voice teacher & pianist/accompanist mainly in France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Switzerland, Slovenia, ...

"VOZK" is the name of electro-acoustic project created by Izidor Leitinger, Luka Jamnik & Sašo Vollmaier (2013 -20xx). 

Vollmaier’s accomplishments include theatre and cartoon scores, choral arrangements, marching orchestras, big bands, playing as a studio musician (Laibach, Bratko Bibič, Silence, Funtango, radio/TV broadcastings,…)

In August 2019 he moves to Slovenia.

His first solo project is inspired by the music/themes from Laibach. Vollmaier created a solo piano piece, called "Kind of Laibach". The album was recorded from 2nd-4th of March (2020) in pianoroom and released by Nika Records.

In May 2021 he adds his interpretation of F. Nietzsche's 'Hymnus an die Freundschaft' to his repertoire. 

13th of August 2021 New release - single (video was created by Benjamin Kreže)
Vollmaier : Odsev 
YT video 

9th of November 2021- he composed and arranged for piano & chamber orcestra, inspired by compositions of Slovene composer Josip Ipavec for a project "Dvakrat Josip" (Prva vrsta) with the members of RTV Slovenia Symphony orchestra. The composition was broadcasted live.
Vollmaier: Če mogel bi (1/3)
YT video 

11th of March 2022 New release - single
Vollmaier : Nietzsche
YT link

on 11th of April 2023 Vollmaier premiered his new project called "Vollmaier: Ligeti; How to explain Ligeti to a dead audience" in collaboration with: Komposter, Things I Miss, Luka Jamnik, Marko Turel, Matjaž Bajc, Nika Hölcl. Coproduction: Cankarjev dom.
A couple of days before, on 7th of April, new single "Vollmaier:Feng Cha" was released. The video was created by Komposter.
YT video

short CV (Chronological)

  • 1982 Born in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia
  • 1997-2001 Secondary music school in Maribor (professor Narcis Grabar)
  • 2001-2008 Academy of music in Ljubljana (professors: Aci Bertoncelj, László Baranyay, Andrej Jarc)
  • 1998-2005 Big Band Radlje (conducted by Izidor Leitinger), keyboards
  • 2005-20XX Pantheatre (Elizabeth Meyer*, Linda Wise, Enrique Pardo), collaborator, teacher// Roy Hart International Arts Centre, collaborator, teacher
  • 2005-2009 Slovenian tango group Funtango, piano   
  • 2007-2013 Slovenian industrial band Laibach, keyboards
  • 2008-20XX Bratko Bibič & the Madleys, piano
  • 2010  Slovene National Theatre Maribor, accompanist
  • 2012 Music school Franc Šturm, teacher, accompanist
  • 2012-2013 Slovenian alternative Synthpop band Melodrom, keyboards
  • 2013 Music school Radlje ob Dravi, teacher, accompanist, choir conductor
  • 2013 Paris
  • 2014-20XX Performing, theatre, voice, P.M.S. (piano music singing) // La compagnie Patte Blanche (Viviane Gay), musician, composer // Atelier Performative Künste (Susanne Weins), teacher, collaborator // Accademia dell’Arte, guest music & voice teacher
  • 2015-20XX  "Generation", Roy Hart International Arts Centre, composer, musical director // Chrysopée, keyboards // "VOZK", Electro-Acoustic trio: Luka Jamnik (programming, keyboards, vintage analog devices, composing, arranging), Izidor Leitinger (trumpet, keyboards, composing, arranging), Sašo Vollmaier (piano, keyboards, composing, arranging)
  • 2017 "Melancholia" performance with Susanne Weins, directed by Sabine Seume.
  • January 2018 "Travers", vocal and instrumental performance with Yane Mareine, Christiane Cobral, directed by Daniela Alejandra Garcia Molina Castro
  • ​November 2018 "On the road" with Viviane Gay (performer, singer), Patrick Delattre (guitars), Sašo Vollmaier (keyboards, electronics), Albert Chinet (drums)
  • November 2018-2019 "Izumitelj na zemlji" Anton Podbevšek (1898–1981), performers: Ana Pandur, Leja Jurišič, Urban Kuntarič, Andraž Jug, Pavle Ravnohrib, Sašo Vollmaier. Musical direction and adaptation: "Malenkosti" by Marij Kogoj (1892-1956) - Matevž Kolenc& Sašo Vollmaier, concept: Bara Kolenc. Anton Podbevšek theatre
  • September 2019-20XX "Vollmaier : Kind of Laibach", solo piano performance inspired by the music of Laibach.
  • 8th of February 2020-20xx "Laibach: Wir sind das Volk" (musical), guest pianist, arranger
  • 2020-2022 Music school Fran Korun Koželjski Velenje, accompanist
  • May 2020-20XX "Vollmaier : Nietzsche", composition for piano inspired by the music of F.Nietzsche (Hymnus an die Freundschaft)
  • 9th of November 2021 "Dvakrat Josip", composition inspired by Slovene composer Josip Ipavec with the members of RTV Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with "Prva vrsta".
  • Dec 2021 "Kafka: Letter to His Father" Performers: Barbara Ribnikar, Gregor Čušin, Sašo Vollmaier. Music: Silence
    Anton Podbevšek Theatre
  • April 2022, "Boljši svet" MGL Musical, musical/voice direction
  • September 2022 "Laibach: Alamut" Keyboards
  • December 2022 "Spur der Stimme", musical direction for the performance with Susanne Weins (direction), Kristin Schuster (movement/voice), Yoann Jouneau (movement/voice)
  • 13th of March 2023 He is awarded by the title "Yamaha Artist"
  • 7th of April 2023, "Vollmaier:Feng Cha" (single release)
  • 11th of April 2023, "Vollmaier:Ligeti", premiere in Gallus hall of Cankarjev dom, audio/visual preformance, piano recital with collaborators: Komposter, Things I Miss, Luka Jamnik, Marko Turel, Matjaž Bajc, Nika Hölcl. Coproduction: Cankarjev dom
     

Press kit

Download biography and photos in hi-res for press usage. If using photographs, please credit them with the name of the photographer.

Photo: Nika Hölcl Praper

Projects

Pianist

After completing his studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, 
Sašo started to develop his musical style influenced by different groups he collaborated/is collaborating with (from 'chamber' to 'alternative music').

Performer

Sašo Vollmaier is performer in the field of performance-art.
His performance includes sound desing on stage with intervetions of movement, spoken word, voice expression.
Vollmaier's last sound concept appeared in performance art week in Venice (Dec 2019), called "Fragile Breath".

Voice teacher

Vollmaier works internationally as a voice teacher. It was his passion for voice work that led Sašo to the "Centre Artistique International Roy Hart" (research and study center), where - as Musical Director of the performance Generation, working with founding members of the Roy Hart Theatre - Sašo gained a profound appreciation of the power of presence, fragility, expression, authenticity, and curiosity. These are the core tenets of his teaching today.

Composer/Arranger

He is composing and arranging for different musical, dance and theatre performances. Vollmaier actively collaborates with various musical formations/bands, singers, music enthusiasts and developers.
Vollmaier mostly collaborates with Luka Jamnik (composer&producer).

Photo: Saša Huzjak / SHtudio.eu

Upcoming dates

Sat, 14 Dec 2024
Vollmaier:Kind of Laibach (extended)
Ciklus ARSonica, Krško, SI

piano solo

Mon, 16 Dec 2024
Vollmaier:Kind of Laibach (extended)
Škuc, Ljubljana

piano solo

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 > Sun, 19 Jan 2025
Zvočnost glasu
Trg Prekomorskih brigad 1, Ljubljana, SI

Voice/Movement workshop
SI
Kako slišim sebe in kako druge?
Razvijanje moči prezence, krhkosti, izraza, radovednosti in pristnosti človeškega glasu.
Različni dejavniki spremenijo način poslušanja in posledično vplivajo na glas, ki se
spreminja z vsakim dnem.
Delavnico sestavljajo tri stopnje: priprava glasu in telesa, spoznavanje lastnih zvočnih
prostorov in individualno/skupinsko delo.
Vsak segment je razdeljen na vaje, ki vključujejo dih, glasbene fraze (melodija, ritem...), improvizacijo in asociacijo.

Prijava/Application

EN
How do I hear myself and how do I hear others?
Developing the power of presence, fragility, expression, curiosity and authenticity of the human voice.
Different factors change the way we listen and consequently influence the voice that is changing with each passing day.
The workshop consists of three steps: preparing the voice and the body, getting to know one's own sound and individual/group work.
Each segment is divided into exercises involving breath, musical phrases (melody, rhythm,...), improvisation and association.

ŠUGLA PLUS 2024/2025!

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 > Sun, 27 Jul 2025
The art of interpretation
Malérargues, FR

Voice/movement workshop
Directed by Linda Wise, Natacha Crawford&Sašo Vollmaier

Tue, 5 Aug 2025 > Sun, 10 Aug 2025
Move your sound within a musical shape
Malérargues, FR

Voice&movement wotkshop
Mentors: Susanne WEINS & Saso VOLLMAIER

Photo: Nika Hölcl Praper

Photo: Nika Hölcl Praper

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Photo: Nika Hölcl Praper


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