Amael Trio
Zoltan Peter, piano – Volodja Balžalorsky, violin – Damir Hamidullin, cello
Guest: Tatjana Ognjanović, piano (founding member of the Amael Trio)
Amael Trio
The Amael Trio received five prestigious international awards for its video recording of a concert at the Spectrum 2024 festival: Universal Stars Music Competition-Diamond Award, December 2024, Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition Berlin-first prize (April 2025), International Schubert Competition Vienna-first prize, (April 2025), 10th Swiss Competition-first prize, (May 2025), Claude Debussy Competition Paris 2025- first prize, (July 2025).
Program:
Franz Schubert: Trio Nocturne in E-flat major, D 897 (pianist Tatjana Ognjanović)
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Trio No. 1 in G minor (Trio élégiaque)
Anton Arensky: Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 32 Allegro moderato- Scherzo. Allegro molto-Elegia. Adagi-Finale. Allegro non troppo
Milko Lazar: Three Short Pieces (2001)
Bedřich Smetana: Trio Op. 15 in G minor Moderato assai – Più animato-Allegro, ma non agitato-Finale. Presto
The Amael Trio has been performing since October 2000. It has confirmed its international reputation with extremely successful performances at festivals (Forfest in Kroměříž, Festival Spectrum in Munich, Mask Fest in San Marino, Grieg Festival in Bergen, Nuovi Spazi Musicali Festival in Rome, Foyer Européen in Luxembourg, Kolarčev Chamber Music Podium in Belgrade, Fajr Festival in Tehran, etc.) and with concerts in prestigious auditoriums, including Carnegie Hall in New York and The Forge cultural center in London. The ensemble has always performed Slovenian contemporary music during its guest appearances, thus contributing to its international recognition. The trio has been performing in its current line-up (Zoltan Peter, piano -Volodja Balžalorsky, violin -Damir Hamidulin, cello) since April 2017, until then the pianist of the trio was Tatjana Ognjanović.
After studying at the Secondary Music School in Ljubljana under Ciril Veronek, violinist Volodja Balžalorsky studied in Cologne, Moscow, and Vienna under renowned professors such as Igor Ozim (under whom he graduated in 1980), Josef Suk, Galina Barinova, and Grigory Zislin. He has received several international awards for his artistic work, including the Hollywood Music and Media Award 2009, the Inland Empire Music Award, and the Ontario Independent Music Award for Best International Artist 2007. He is also the recipient of the 2006 Bettet Award and a special award from the organizing committee of the international competition in Tenerife (Canary Islands) for the best interpretation in the instrumental performance category (for his performance of Franck’s Sonata in A major with pianist Hinko Haas). He was also nominated for The Los Angeles Music Award 2007. He performs at home and abroad as a soloist and chamber musician. Through concerts and recordings for various radio and television stations in Europe and the USA, he has earned a reputation as a violinist with refined technique, rich tone, and sophisticated musicality. He regularly performs at international festivals in Brussels, Krems, Bologna, Trapani, Ljubljana, Venice, Aberystwyth, Kroměříž, etc. He has recorded numerous CDs, including for the renowned label Eroica Classical Recordings, and has made several appearances on TV Slovenia. From 1999 to 2001, he was concertmaster of the Freiburg Baroque Soloists. As a chamber musician, he performs in various ensembles, including international ones. He complements his artistic creativity with teaching. For many years, he has led international masterclasses for violin in Grožnjan and Pučišći (Croatia), Amalfi, Rome, Interlochen, Aberystwyth, and at DePauw University (USA). He teaches at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana (since 2009 as a full professor).
Cellist Damir Hamidulin is an outstanding representative of the Russian school. He studied at the Kazan Conservatory (under Prof. Ittaki Halitov) and graduated with honors in 1981. He perfected his skills in courses taught by world-renowned cellists such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniil Shafran, Alexander Vlasov, Galina Kozolupova, and others. During his studies, he won a number of awards, including first prize at the Volga-Ural International Competition (1980) and second prize at the All-Russian Cello Competition (1981), where he was also awarded for the best performance of Shostakovich’s Sonata. In 1984, he continued his postgraduate studies in Moscow at the renowned Gnesin Institute, where he was also an assistant to the great cellist Fyodor Luzanov. He has performed several times as a soloist with the Kazan Philharmonic and other symphony and chamber orchestras in Russia and Slovenia. He has performed all the most famous concertos for cello and orchestra (Dvořák, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Haydn, etc.). He has appeared at numerous prestigious festivals and collaborated with contemporary Russian, Ukrainian, and Slovenian composers. He has premiered works by R. Kalimulin, K. Cipkolenko, I. Krivokapić, and others. He has appeared on radio and television programs and recorded numerous albums, most recently for the American label Eroica Classical Recordings. Between 1981 and 1984, he was the principal cellist of the Kazan Opera and Ballet, and since 1987 he has been the principal cellist of the Kazan Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1991, he has been the principal cellist of the SNG Opera and Ballet Orchestra in Ljubljana. He is a successful teacher at the Vič-Rudnik Music School and leads summer courses in Croatia and Slovenia.
Pianist Zoltan Peter was born in Vojvodina, completed secondary music school in Subotica, and continued his higher education in Arba Valdme’s class at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He completed his piano studies at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. As a soloist, chamber musician, and piano accompanist to many renowned musicians of the younger and older generations, he has performed in Slovenia and abroad, including in all the music centers of the former Yugoslavia, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, etc. He has performed under the baton of conductors such as Igor Gjadrov, Simon Robinson, Berislav Skenderović, Hermann Ostendarp, Guido Mancusi, Paul Hoskins, George Pehlivanian, and En Shao. He has recorded numerous compositions for RTV Slovenia, RTV Belgrade, RTV Novi Sad, and HRT, as well as eleven CDs of solo and chamber music for RTV Slovenia’s cassette and record label and other publishers. As a top-class chamber musician and piano accompanist with an extensive repertoire, he often participates in international master classes and competitions. In addition to his concert and regular teaching activities at primary, secondary, and university levels, he also leads seminars for young pianists, piano teachers, and piano accompanists in Slovenia and abroad.