All About
Vojin Kocić
All About
Vojin Kocić
"Vojin Kocić is a superb guitarist. He has been a delight to work with on our several Naxos recordings, and whether live or recorded, his warmth and passion shine through every note."
Norbert Kraft,
Grammy Winner recording producer, NAXOS Records
Biography
Vojin Kocić, multifaceted classical guitarist, captivates audiences with his musicality, expressive playing, and profound interpretations of guitar music spanning from Renaissance era to contemporary compositions of the 21st century. Critics have bestowed upon him the title of the "Maestro of Gentle Tones," a testament to his ability to evoke delicate and nuanced emotions through his instrument (SRF, Switzerland). His technical prowess, artistic maturity and daring interpretations have inspired rave reviews, impressed competition juries, and secured invitations to collaborate with many of the esteemed orchestras, composers, conductors, and musicians.
Grammy-winning recording producer Norbert Kraft of NAXOS Records has acclaimed the "warmth and passion" in his playing, labelling him a "superb guitarist." The American Record Guide hailed him as a "born prize winner destined for a remarkable career" following his series of 20 victories in international competitions. Among these, his 2014 triumph at the "Credit Suisse Young Artist Award" not only granted him a debut at the Lucerne Festival in 2015 but also positioned him as the first guitarist ever to attain this esteemed prize.
The Serbian/Swiss guitarist made his international breakthrough in 2017 and 2018, winning the prestigiousInternational Guitar Festival and Competition in Heinsberg, Germany, and the 51st Concorso Internazionale di Chitarra Classica “Michele Pittaluga” in Alessandria, Italy. These achievements paved the way for Kocić, affording him the opportunity to produce two records within a span of a single year for the NAXOS record label, overseen by Grammy-winning recording producer Norbert Kraft. Moreover, he embarked on an extensive concert tour in 2019, performing at distinguished venues and festivals including “Guitar Virtuosi” at Tchaikovsky Hall (Moscow), the Verbier Festival (Switzerland), and “Music Olympus” at St. Petersburg Capella Hall, among others.
Released in 2019, Kocić’s debut recording opens with his captivating adaptation of Bach's 2nd Violin Partita BWV1004, a composer whose music holds a particular fascination for Kocic. Spanning from Baroque to Contemporary music, the album also includes showpieces for the guitar by Manuel Ponce, Giulio Regondi, and Marek Pasieczny that well represent Kocic’s taste. Released in the same year, Kocić’s second Naxos album reflects his desire to revive the legacy and diversity of three generations of Spanish composers - Albeniz, José, and Manén - as well as the close bond he feels with the deep Iberian musical imagination and cultural heritage. Both of those albums received critical acclaim for their technical prowess and emotive interpretations.
"Completely charming, rich in color and depth, with an almost painterly approach to interpretation, Kocic is a great musician, deftly placing sounds and colours on the flow of time. A treasure from first notes to the fade of the last sound."
Kocić gave his first solo concert at the tender age of 8 in his hometown. At a mere 13 years old, he made his orchestra debut as a soloist at Belgrade's Sava Centre Hall, accompanied by Greece's Armonia Atenea orchestra. On this occasion, he stepped in for the renowned guitarist John Williams at the Guitar Art Festival, captivating an audience of 3000 attendees. Highlights of the Kocic’s extensive concert career include performances with the State Academic Capella Symphony Orchestra (St. Petersburg, Russia), Kyiv Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine), Orchestra Classica di Alessandria (Italy), Symphony Orchestra of Radio Television of Serbia, Orchestergesellschaft Zürich (Switzerland), and conductors such as Holly Choe, Stanko Jovanović, Nodoka Okisawa, and Olivera Sekulić – Barać.
His repertoire transcends diverse musical genres and eras, encompassing solo and chamber compositions originally composed or transcribed for the classical guitar, as well as guitar concertos. His versatility as a musician shines through his exploration and experimentation in contemporary, ethnic, jazz, and blues musical languages, all of which find their place in his concert programs. Moreover, he delves into early music with skilful performances on authentic instruments like the lute, vihuela, and theorbo.
Kocić is equally dedicated to promoting new music written for his instrument. He frequently premieres and records compositions dedicated to him by composers such as Marek Pasieczny, Atanas Ourkouzounov, and Carles Guisado Moreno, among others. As a committed chamber musician, Kocić frequently shares stages and records with musicians like Marek Pasieczny, singer Isabel Pfefferkorn, clarinetist Matthias Müller, violinist Ingolf Turban, guitarists Pietro Locatto, Johan Smith, and Lazhar Cherouana, as well as ensembles like the Orion Trio and Casal String Quartet, among others.
His performances have been broadcasted by various radio and television companies, including SRF (Switzerland), Radio Swiss Classic, NPO Radio 4 (Netherlands), Radio Television of Slovenia, RTVE (Spain), Radio Television of Serbia, etc. His performances and recordings have garnered high praise and have been featured in esteemed publications such as the American Record Guide (USA), La Stampa (Italy), Classical Guitar Magazine (UK), The WholeNote (Canada), Il Secolo XIX (Italy), Seicorde (Italy) and Il Fronimo (Italy).
Born in Serbia in 1990, Vojin Kocić’s musical curiosity was sparked through the recordings his family played constantly at home, as well as listening to his mom occasionally playing the piano. He began playing the guitar at 8, studying with professors Jovica Milosević, Darko Karajić, and Srdjan Tosić. In 2011, he moved to Switzerland to study at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) under the guidance of Prof. Anders Miolin, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Specialized Music Performance, and Master in Pedagogy. He also participated in masterclasses with renowned guitarists such as Pepe Romero, Leo Brouwer, Hubert Kappel, Zoran Dukić, Dušan Bogdanović, Carlo Marchione, Paul Galbraith, Pavel Steidl, and others.
Kocić's talent came into the spotlight at the "Michele Pittaluga" Guitar Competition in Alessandria in 2005 when he was just 14, where Maestro Oscar Ghiglia, a former student of Segovia, recognized his potential. This led to a scholarship for him to refine his artistry through "Summer specialization courses" at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy. Kocić continued his musical growth, spending four more summers honing his craft under the guidance of Maestro Ghiglia. In 2014, he achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the first and thus far, the only guitarist in the history of Academia Chigiana to receive the prestigious "Diploma d’Onore."
It was, in fact, Maestro Ghiglia's advice upon which Kocić moved to Switzerland to pursue his studies at Zurich University of the Arts. At this Artistic Hub, as Serbian/Swiss guitarist likes to refer it, he now shares his passion and expertise as a professor of guitar.
Vojin Kocić currently plays on the classical guitar made by Jean-Nöel Rohé (2016), is endorsed by Dâddario strings and records for NAXOS.
"With his achievements Vojin deserved the Diploma of Honour - never awarded before or after in my guitar class at the Academia Chigiana! It would have been beautiful if some other student were ever able to follow his example... But, even at the highest level, so far this doesn't seem to have happened yet at all!"
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