Biography

Composer, guitarist and arranger Timotej Kosovinc (Ljubljana, 1991) has experienced different musical genres and styles. He composes for a variety of musical instruments and groups and is especially successful in the field of concert music.

He started his music path at the age of seven. At the age of ten, he wrote his first original composition and he performed his first solo guitar concert at the age of twelve.

Later he continued his musical education at the Conservatory for Music and Ballet Ljubljana (where the »Škerjančeva nagrada« prize for the extraordinary success at winning artistic recognition for the conservatory was awarded to him) and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where he graduated with honors in guitar in the class of  professor Alvaro Pierri, composition and music theory in the class of professors Johannes Kretz and Detlev Müller-Siemens. For his exceptional academic achievements he was awarded the honor award of the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research of the Republic of Austria (Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung) in 2019, which is being awarded yearly to 50 best of approximately 16000 graduates in Austria. He is currently doing a PhD in musical analysis with the doctoral advisor professor Dr. Margareta Saary at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

In addition, he has attended a great deal of masterclasses by some of the greatest masters of composition and guitar including David Newman, Lalo Schifrin, Michael Jarrell, Beat Furrer, Helmut Lachenmann, Leo Brouwer, Dušan Bogdanović, Pepe Romero, Costas Cotsiolis, Dale Kavanagh, Graham Devine, Konrad Ragossnig,…

As a composer, guitarist and lecturer he is a regular guest in prominent concert halls such as Musikverein (Vienna, Austria), Slovenska filharmonija (Ljubljana, Slovenija) or Cankarjev Dom (Ljubljana, Slovenia) and in various festivals and summer schools such as Wien Modern, Intonation Ungarn, Forum Gitarre Wien, Liechtensteiner Gitarrentage, Sonus – Kammermusikwerkstatt or International Guitar Festival Postojna. His music is being performed regularly by him and others in various tours in Europe and Canada. 

He was an assistant teacher for ear training and held lectures in composition and music theory at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and Franz Liszt Academy of Music Budapest. He is currently teaching guitar, chamber music and composition at the J. G. Albrechtsberger Music School in Klosterneuburg (Austria).

He is a winner of many international competitions. Among others, he has won the European guitar competition »Enrico Mercatali« (Italy), the »Guitar Art Summer Fest« international competition (Montenegro) and the »Temsig« national competition (Slovenia).

As a soloist he performed with symphonic orchestra of the Conservatory for Music and Ballet Ljubljana and conductor Tomaž Habe, with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Marko Hribernik and he played several concerts in Austria with the Austrian orchestra Philharmonie Marchfeld and conductor Bettina Schmitt.

Since 2013 he is a member of the organisation Live Music Now, the foundation of which was encouraged by the world famous violin player Yehudi Menuhin and the goal of which is to bring live music to all people, especially to those, who can not get access to live music easily.

For several years, he is successfully organizing summer and winter concerts in Ljubljana (in the Botanical Garden and in the Red Hall of the City Hall), which have already become a tradition.

He cooperated at the direction, recording and production of the artistic recordings and videos of his own works and performances (the videos can be found under »Media«).

Timotej says:

»The audience can be impressed by outstanding technique, extreme virtuosity, pure musicality, but they will always appreciate it most if one starts talking through music. In my music, some will find entertainment or a beautified evening after an exhausting working day, others will identify themselves with it on the emotional level and again others will observe complicated compositional structures and methods of processing the musical material in it – everybody will be able to find something in my music. My biggest wish is to share my music with all people. Only together with them, my music can truly be alive!«

 

»…  in his live and profound interpretations the guitar is not just a regular instrument, used as a tone producing medium , but an active part of the guitarist himself.«

(Radio Ars, Slovenia)

 

»Each tone had its life, its story, and incorporated itself beautifully in the wider sound image at the same time.«

(Radio Ars, Slovenia)

 

 »Perfect technique and excellent sense for harmonious formation of the details led to the clear narrativeness and personified interpretation.«

 (music magazine Glasna, Slovenia)

Timotej Kosovinc is a Thomastik-Infeld Artist and uses Thomastik-Infeld strings.