Sašo Vollmaier (1982), pianist, composer, performer, voice teacher
Vollmaier graduated from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana (Slovenia) in 2008. In 2003, he met "Pantheatre" (Paris, FR). This collaboration opened new areas and possibilities in voice work, which he pursued as an accompanist for singers, working in the opera department of the Slovene National Theatre in Maribor, teaching in various musical institutions, and performing with several musicians in different musical formations.
He joined the Slovenian avant-garde music group Laibach from 2007 to 2013 as a keyboard player. His experience with Laibach was crucial in understanding the elements of industrial music, fostering curiosity about politics, increasing self-awareness, and providing an opportunity to express himself in this particular musical genre.
In 2013 he moved to France for personal and professional development.
Vollmaier met Viviane Gay in Paris, an actress and singer with whom he began creating music-theatre pieces, developing his presence on stage as a performer through his voice, movement, and music.
His voice work brought him back to Malérargues (Centre Artistique International Roy Hart), where he started giving classes, collaborating with other voice teachers, and performing concerts. In the same year, he began a 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 engage with the Roy Hart Theatre in terms of presence, fragility,
expression, authenticity, and curiosity.
In autumn 2014, he started teaching at Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo (IT), invited by Kevin Crawford, the MFA program director. Vollmaier teaches musical aspects and encourages students to invent their own language while working on presence, voice, and movement. This structure allows him to define his direction.
In the same year, he began collaborating with Susanne Weins, giving voice and movement workshops in Düsseldorf and creating their own theatre productions (Bewegte Oktaven, Fragile Breath, Melancholia, etc.), most of which were directed by Sabine Seume (*1963 - †2021).
He works as a voice teacher & pianist/accompanist mainly in France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Switzerland, Slovenia, ...
"VOZK" is the name of an electro-acoustic project created by Izidor Leitinger, Luka Jamnik, and Sašo Vollmaier (2013-20XX).
Vollmaier’s accomplishments include theatre and cartoon scores, choral arrangements, marching orchestras, big bands, and work as a studio musician (Laibach, Bratko Bibič, Silence, Funtango, radio/TV broadcasts, etc.).
In August 2019, he moved back 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 added his interpretation of F. Nietzsche's "Hymnus an die Freundschaft" to his repertoire.
On August 13th, 2021, he released a new single (video created by Benjamin Kreže):
Vollmaier : Odsev
YT video
On November 9th, 2021, he composed and arranged for piano and chamber orchestra, inspired by the compositions of Slovene composer Josip Ipavec for the project "Dvakrat Josip" (Prva vrsta) with members of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. The composition was broadcast live.
Vollmaier: Če mogel bi (1/3)
YT video
On March 11th, 2022, he released a new single:
Vollmaier : Nietzsche
YT link
On April 11th, 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, and Nika Hölcl. Coproduction: Cankarjev dom.
A couple of days earlier, on April 7th, the new single "Vollmaier: Feng Cha" was released. The video was created by Komposter.
YT video
"Klasje" (Wheat) is a (non)classical piano concert where Manca Udovič, Blaž Avsenik, and I have joined together as composers and pianists. Multimedia artist Anja Romih enhances the performance with visualizations. The concert premiered on March 28th, 2024.
On February 14th, Vollmaier premiered a new composition at MENT titled "Vollmaier: Error." It was performed as a single movement, a format he has been refining over the past few years. Alongside exploring form and musical dramaturgy, Vollmaier integrates electronic elements into the acoustic sound of the piano, proposing new directions and alternative solutions in its expression.
short CV (Chronological from the present to the past)
- 14th of February 2025 "Vollmaier:Error" premiered at festival MENT in Stara Mestna Elektrarna (Ljubljana, SI)
- 28th of March 2024 "Klasje" (Wheat) is a (non)classical piano concert where Manca Udovič, Blaž Avsenik and myself have joined together as composers and pianists.
- 11th of April 2023, "Vollmaier:Ligeti", premiere in Gallus hall of Cankarjev dom, audio/visual performance, piano recital with collaborators: Komposter, Things I Miss, Luka Jamnik, Marko Turel, Matjaž Bajc, Nika Hölcl. Coproduction: Cankarjev dom
- 7th of April 2023, "Vollmaier:Feng Cha" (single release)
- 13th of March 2023 He is awarded by the title "Yamaha Artist"
- September 2022 "Laibach: Alamut" Keyboards
- April 2022, "Boljši svet" MGL Musical, musical/voice direction
- December 2022 "Spur der Stimme", musical direction for the performance with Susanne Weins (direction), Kristin Schuster (movement/voice), Yoann Jouneau (movement/voice)
- 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
- 8th of February 2020-20xx "Laibach: Wir sind das Volk" (musical), guest pianist, arranger
- May 2020-20XX "Vollmaier : Nietzsche", composition for piano inspired by the music of F.Nietzsche (Hymnus an die Freundschaft)
- 2020-2022 Music school Fran Korun Koželjski Velenje, accompanist
- September 2019-20XX "Vollmaier : Kind of Laibach", solo piano performance inspired by the music of Laibach.
- 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
- November 2018 "On the road" with Viviane Gay (performer, singer), Patrick Delattre (guitars), Sašo Vollmaier (keyboards, electronics), Albert Chinet (drums)
- January 2018 "Travers", vocal and instrumental performance with Yane Mareine, Christiane Cobral, directed by Daniela Alejandra Garcia Molina Castro
- 2017 "Melancholia" performance with Susanne Weins, directed by Sabine Seume (*1963 - †2021).
- 2015-2024 "Generation", Roy Hart International Arts Centre, composer, musical director // Chrysopée, keyboards //
- 2015 "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)
- 2014 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
- 2013 Music school Radlje ob Dravi, teacher, accompanist, choir conductor
- 2013 Paris
- 2012-2013 Slovenian alternative Synthpop band Melodrom, keyboards
- 2012 Music school Franc Šturm, teacher, accompanist
- 2010 Slovene National Theatre Maribor, accompanist
- 2008-20XX Bratko Bibič & the Madleys, piano
- 2007-2013 Slovenian industrial band Laibach, keyboards
- 2005-2009 Slovenian tango group Funtango, piano
- 2005-20XX Pantheatre - Elizabeth Meyer (*1936 - †2009), Linda Wise, Enrique Pardo; collaborator, teacher
& Roy Hart International Arts Centre, collaborator, teacher
- 1998-2005 Big Band Radlje (conducted by Izidor Leitinger), keyboards
- 2001-2008 Academy of music in Ljubljana (professors: Aci Bertoncelj, László Baranyay, Andrej Jarc)
- 1997-2001 Secondary music school in Maribor (professor Narcis Grabar)
- 1982 Born in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia
