Priit Volmer

(bass)

EDUCATION AND WORK
Priit Volmer graduated from the singing class of Tartu Heino Eller Music School in 2000 (teacher Henn Pai). In 2000–2004, he studied opera singing at the Estonian Academy of Music with Professor Virgilius Noreika, Professor Matti Pelo and Professor Jaakko Ryhänen. Since 2004, he is working on his Master’s degree with Professor Jaakko Ryhänen. Priit Volmer sung in the opera chorus at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu (1998–2000) and in the opera chorus at the Estonian National Opera (2000–2004). Since 2004, he is a soloist of the Estonian National Opera. In 2013–2017, he was a soloist of Opera Bonn.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In 2002, he was awarded the 1st Prize for the best interpretation of the songs by the Estonian composer Mart Saar. In 2005, Priit Volmer received the Harjumaa Theatre Prize for his role of Leporello in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”. In 2008, he received the Marje and Kuldar Sink Young Singer award and the Best Colleague Prize of the Estonian National Opera. He is also the winner of the scholarship of the Estonian Richard Wagner Society (2008). In 2009, he received the Tiit Kuusik Award by the Estonia Society Foundation and in 2013 and 2017, the SEB Audience Award. In 2021 he received the Annual Estonian Theatre Award in music awards category for the title role in Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale”. In 2024, he was awarded the Georg Ots Prize for his high standard of vocal virtuosity and masterful interpretation of roles in various genres: Eichmann (Tüür’s “Wallenberg”), Colonel Pickering (Loewe’s “My Fair Lady”), King Marke (Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde”), Don Alfonso (Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”), Mephistopheles (Gounod’s “Faust”), Cervantes and Don Quixote (Leigh’s “Man of La Mancha”), Daland (Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer”), Father Laurent (Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet”), title role in Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale”, Ferrando (Verdi’s “Il trovatore”), Sarastro (Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”), Heinrich der Vogler (Wagner’s “Lohengrin”), Arkel (Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande”), Manfred MIM (Manfred MIM’s “Estonian History. A Nation Born of Shock” Estonian National Opera and Kanuti Gildi Saal), title role in Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd”, Jürka (Varres’ “The New Old Nick of Hellsbottom”, both in Vanemuine Theatre) and Rocco (Beethoven’s “Fidelio”, Opera Bonn) as well as for his broad activity as a soloist of chamber music, concerts and symphonic works.

REPERTOIRE
Don Pasquale (Donizetti „Don Pasquale“)
Daland (Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer”)
Biterolf (Wagner’s “Tannhäuser”)
Bartolo (Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro”)
Vassily Sobakin (Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Tsar’s Bride”)
Colline (Puccini’s “La bohème”)
Ashby (Puccini’s “La fanciulla del West”)
Geronte di Ravoir (Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut”)
Cesare Angelotti and Sciarrone (Puccini’s „Tosca“)
The Imperial Commissioner (Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly”)
Méphistophélès (Gounod’s Faust)
Don Alfonso (Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”)
Leporello (Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”)
Sarastro and Der Sprecher (Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”)
King Mark (Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde”)
Titurel (Wagner’s “Parsifal”)
Heinrich I (Wagner’s “Lohengrin”)
Eichmann (Tüür’s “Wallenberg”)
Alidoro (Rossini’s “La Cenerentola”)
Filiberto (Rossini’s “Signor Bruschino”)
King (Prokofiev’s “The Love for Three Oranges”)
Sparafucile, Ceprano (Verdi’s “Rigoletto”)
Horn (Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera”)
Marquis d’Obigny, Doctor Grenvil (Verdi’s “La traviata”)
Monk (Verdi’s “Don Carlo”)
Montano (Verdi’s “Otello”)
Ferrando (Verdi’s “Il trovatore”)
Talbot (Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco”)
Zuniga (Bizet’s “Carmen”)
Vagabond (Orff’s “Die Kluge”)
Manfred MIM (Manfred MIM’s “Estonian History. A Nation Born of Shock” Estonian National Opera and Kanuti Gildi Saal)
Count Gremin (Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”) 
Mityukha (Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov”)
Bob (Menotti’s “The Old Maid and the Thief”)
Bartholomeus (E. Tubin’s “Barbara von Tisenhusen”)
Marshal Ney (T. Kaumann’s “I – Napoleon!”)
Priest (R. Eespere’s “The Gourmets”)
Raivo/Security Guard/Üllar (Puur’s “The Colours of Clouds”)
Dog (T. Steiner’s “Wooing”)
Marcus, Black Bob and Tom (“The Little Sweep” by Britten)
Don Quixote (Leigh’s “Man of La Mancha”)
Andres Paas (E. Kerge/T. Raadik’s “The Truth and Justice of Vargamäe”)
Colonel Pickering (Loewe’s “My Fair Lady”)
Shadow of the Armchair/The Tree (Ravel’s “L’enfant et les sortileges”)
Kromow (Lehár’s “The Merry Widow”)
Arkel (Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande”)

He has also sung opera roles at concert performances: 
Abimélech (Saint-Saëns’ “Samson et Dalilah”)
Publio (Mozart’s “La clemenza di Tito”)
Nick (R. Kangro/K. A. Hermann’s “Uku and Vanemuine”)
Il pedone (Catalani’s “La Wally”)
Gesler (Rossini’s “Guillaume Tell”)
Callistene (Donizetti’s “Poliuto”)
Capellio (Bellini’s “I Capuleti e i Montecchi”)

In Opera Bonn: 
Sacristan (Puccini’s “Tosca”)
King (Verdi’s “Aida”)
Sarastro and Sprecher (Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”)
Palémon (Massenet’s “Thaïs”)
Rocco (Beethoven’s “Fidelio”)
Nourabad (Bize’s “Les pêcheurs de perles”)
First Nazarene (Richard Strauss’s “Salome”)
Luther (Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”)
Timur (Puccini’s “Turnadot”)
Daland (Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer”)
Don Alfonso (Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”)

In Vanemuine Theatre:
Sweeney Todd (Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd”)
Jürka (Varres’ “The New Old Nick of Hellsbottom”

Priit Volmer has also given performances as a member of the drama troupe “Various” in cultural-historical productions:
Benno (Sarapuu’s “His Master’s Voice”, “Merry Estonians”, “Mojens”)
Oscar Wilde and Piibeleht (Sarapuu’s “Wildes”)
Lennart (Sarapuu’s “Lennus”) among others