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Volaj, Altin (b. June 21, 1974, Fier). Albanian composer, now resident in the USA, of mostly orchestral, chamber and piano works that have been performed in Europe and North America.
Mr. Volaj studied composition with Leontios J. Hadjileontiadis at the State Conservatory of Music in Thessaloníki, where he earned his BMus in 2001. He then studied composition with Vladimir Tarnopolski at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 2003 and with Theodore Antoniou and Lukas Foss at Boston University, where he received his MMus in 2003. He studied composition with André Bon and Allain Gaussin at the Académie Américaine in Fontainebleau in 2005, on the Fontainebleau and Robert Casadesus fellowships from the University of Maryland at College Park, and with Lawrence Moss at the University of Maryland at College Park, where he earned his DMA in 2008.
Among his honors are the Prix pour composition Nadia Boulanger from the Académie Américaine in Fontainebleau (2005, for being the best music student), First Prize in the Walsum competition of the University of Maryland at College Park (2006, for Phos II) and annual ASCAP awards (2003–08). His music has been performed in France, Greece, Italy, Russia, and the USA.
Mr. Volaj taught counterpoint, fugue and harmony at the Northern Conservatory of Music in Thessaloníki from 1997–2001 and ear training and solfège as an assistant at Boston University from 2001–03. He then taught ear training and solfège as an assistant at the University of Maryland at College Park from 2003–08, where he was also a lecturer on music theory in 2007. He has taught music theory, rock music and 20th-century music at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County since 2008.
He has lived in the USA since 2001.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: avolaj@umbc.edu
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE: Saupade (improvisational text), soprano-actress, violin, viola, cello, 2005; ION (opera in 7 scenes, libretto by Nick Olcott), 3 mezzo-sopranos, countertenor, 2 baritones, mixed chorus (2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, tenor, 2 baritones), soprano saxophone (+ alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone), piano, 2 percussion, 2007
ORCHESTRAL: For Large Orchestra, orchestra (8 winds, 11 brass, harp, 3 percussion, strings), 1999; Fantasy, orchestra (10 winds, 10 brass, piano, 2 percussion, strings), 2004; In Memoriam Witold Lutosławski, large orchestra (12 winds, 11 brass, harp, piano, 2 percussion, strings), 2004; Anoiksi – Spring, symphonic band, 2005
CHAMBER MUSIC: Folk Dances, accordion, 1993; Sonatina, flute, 1996; Fluxus, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello, percussion, 2001; For Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano, 2001; Moments, percussion, 2001; For solo Harp, 2001; For solo Double Bass, 2002; Lament, French horn, piano, 2002; Moments, flute, clarinet, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, 2002; Solo Guitar, 2002; Short Fantasy, oboe, 2002; Sextet, flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, 2002; Trio, clarinet, piano, percussion, 2003; Fantasy, flute, 2003; In Memoriam Bledi Llangozi, cello, 2004; Phos I, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2005; Echoes, clarinet, 4-track tape, 2005; Phos II, string quartet, 2006; Collage à Pink Floyd, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), electric guitar, cello, double bass, piano, percussion, 2006; For Robert Casadesus, flute, harp, viola, 2007; Sequenza, trombone, 2009
VOCAL: Two Songs (Mediterranean Suns – Silver Swanne) (texts by Kenneth Koch, an anonymous English-language source), mezzo-soprano, baritone, piano, 2003; Seven Songs (text by Panaiotis Argiropoulos), soprano, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), percussion, live electronics, 2008
PIANO: For solo Piano, 1999; A Short Variation on a Theme of Theodore Antoniou, 2008; Impromptu, 2008
(Last updated on June 25, 2009)
