Pianist, Composer, Performer, Voice teacher
Lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia & Malérargues, France

Following graduation from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, Sašo Vollmaier worked in a genre-diversified variety of settings, extending from chamber music ensembles to alternative bands.

He has been associated with the avant-garde music group Laibach since 2007, as a piano and keyboard player as well as an arranger and studio musician. Finding inspiration in the output of the front-runners of Slovenian industrial sound, Sašo’s piano solo projects include covers of several Laibach tracks, most notably Smrt za smrt, Krvava gruda, Ti, ki izzivaš and Le privilege des morts. Sašo moves between two worlds, the classical and the industrial, questing for connections between them by synthesizing repetition, minimalism, and a broad dynamic range. 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 2003 he first encountered Pantheatre (Paris). This collaboration opened new realms and possibilities about voice work which he pursued as an accompanist for singers, teaching in different musical institutions and playing with several musicians in various musical formations.

In 2013 – 2018 he moved to France for personal and professional development where he created music-theatre-pieces and developed his presence on the stage as performer through his voice, movement and music.

The voice work brought him to the Centre Artistique International Roy Hart in Malérargues, where he became a guest teacher, collaborating with other voice teachers and giving the concerts and performances.

In the same year he launched the project “Generation” as musical director.This project allowed him to meet the Roy Hart Theatre in terms of the power of the presence, fragility, expression, authenticity, and curiosity. One of Sašo’s most important collaborations was with Paul Silber and they created several projects together which were directed by Clara Silber-Harris.

Vollmaier teaches musical aspects and encourages his students to invent their own language, working on presence, voice, and movement. This structure allows him to define his direction. In 2013 he began collaborations with Susanne Weins, giving voice & movement workshops in Düsseldorf and creating their own theatre productions (Bewegte Oktaven, Fragile Breath, Melancholia, and Feng Cha) most of them directed by Sabine Seume.

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

Vollmaier’s accomplishments include theatre and cartoon scores, choral arrangements, marching orchestras, big bands, playing and recording as a studio musician.

He speaks Slovenian, English and street French.

E-Mail: info@sasovollmaier.com
Website: https://www.sasovollmaier.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saso.vollmaier/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/s.vollmaier
Photo: Nika Hölcl Praper

Discography:
– ‘On voulait tout casser’, Movie by Philippe Guillard (music:Maxime Lebidois & Roméo Guillard), piano (2015)
– Nika Vistoropski: Ljuba, piano & voice (2015)
– Laibach: Spectre, industrial (2014)
– Laibach: Iron Sky, industrial (2013)
– Bratko Bibič & The Madleys: Kabinet čudes Brutka Bimbiča, Avant-Garde, international, classical, experimental (2013)
– Polona Kasal: Na cesti, electronic, indie, nu-wave (2013)
– Laibach: Monumental Retro-Avant-Garde, Live at Tate Modern, industrial (2012)
– Laibach: Revisited, industrial
– Silence: Musical Accompaniment For The End Of The World, alternative (2012)
– Zbudimo Kralja Matjazza, world, folk, experimental (2011)
– New Creatives: Soul Food, soul, funk (2009)
– Funtango: History, tango (2008)
– Sonja Lovrenčič: Filomundus, world, cabaret, jazz(2006)
– Haim Isaacs: The hole in the wall, world, experimental (2006)