Slovenian classical guitarist Sanja Plohl has captured audiences with soulful interpretations and “an excellent technique, temperament, refinement and exceptional musical maturity” (Večer, 2009). Praised by critics for her outstanding musical expression, her list of more than thirty international awards includes first prizes at the Ivor Mairants Award (London, UK), the International Competition of the Córdoba Guitar Festival (Spain), the Seville International Guitar Competition (Spain), and the Guitarmania International Guitar Competition (Lisbon, Portugal), among others. (see full list of prizes below)
Sanja has performed as a soloist at numerous venues and festivals including London Classical Guitar Festival, Córdoba Guitar Festival, Slovenian Philharmonic Hall (Ljubljana), Festival Ljubljana, Spanish Guitar Society (Madrid), Cervantes Institute (Athens), Guitar Days (Istanbul), Seville Guitar Festival, Zwolle Guitar Festival, Festival Guitarmania (Lisbon), and the Andrés Segovia Festival (Madrid), among others.
Her extensive repertoire covers music from the Renaissance to the present day with a special interest in Latin American and Spanish repertoire. In addition to solo recitals and chamber music collaborations, she has performed as a soloist with several Spanish, German and Dutch orchestras. Her playing has been featured in television, radio and studio recordings and her album Danseuse dans Grenade was released by Iberia Classical.
Sanja has shared her knowledge and experience in numerous masterclasses and lectures (see Teaching page) and has served on juries of international music competitions. She currently lectures in Guitar and World Music at Saint Louis University–Madrid Campus, is an examiner and teacher at the Classical Guitar Corner Academy and maintains an international online teaching studio.
Sanja earned her Bachelor’s degree at the Rostock University of Music and Theatre (Thomas Offermann), a Master’s degree at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague (Zoran Dukić) and a postgraduate programme at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg (Eliot Fisk, Ricardo Gallén). In addition, she also studied with Àlex Garrobé and Fernando Rodríguez in Barcelona, with Oscar Ghiglia in Siena and took masterclasses with other prominent guitarists. Her studies were supported by the scholarships of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture, Zois Fund, Dutch Government (Huygens Scholarship Programme), Soroptimist International, Yehudi Menuhin’s Foundation Live Music Now, Accademia Chigiana, and Música en Compostela.
As a composer Sanja has published several works with Bergmann Editions (Denmark) and has had her music performed by artists around Europe. She also collaborates with other composers and has premiered more than twenty of their new works.
SELECTED REVIEWS
| “…excellent technique, temperament, refinement and exceptional musical maturity, which we rarely find among guitarists.” Večer, 12 Sept 2009 “The Great Hall of the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall was filled with the beautiful and profoundly abundant guitar sound, which enabled listeners to hear every interpretive detail of the technically perfect and expressively colourful playing of Sanja Plohl…” Radio Slovenia, 16 Feb 2010 “This debut album, from a guitarist well on her way to what promises to be a successful career, perfectly reflects the artist’s skill at interpreting an extensive repertoire ranging from the sixteenth‑century vihuela to the work of contemporary composer Angelo Gilardino. Her understanding of the music is seamless, her technical virtuosity overcomes difficulties with astonishing ease and her young and airy sound — closer to light than to shadow — is musical treasure clearly identified on this appreciated first album.” Javier Suárez-Pajares, Diverdi “We can best appreciate Sanja Plohl’s skills in Manuel María Ponce’s Variations and Fugue on ‘Folia de España’. A truly deep interpretation that shows an immense understanding of the work. Listeners will be compelled by Sanja’s resources; her interpretation is of great rhythmical and sonorous intensity, complemented by her natural expression and technical precision; for this and much more the album is a real gem.” Alejandro Cano, 90 Disonancias, 16 Oct 2013 “Sanja Plohl brought to her performance a spontaneous identification with every phrase and sonority, which compelled the listener’s attention and opened up an imaginative world beyond the text. Her Walton sparkled in the outer movements and sang in the slow one, while her sense of poetic involvement with the Bogdanović made light of its length and intricacies. There was a feeling of genuine improvisation here of which the jury was sure Ivor Mairants would have approved, and which deservedly earned Sanja Plohl the first prize.” Classical Guitar Magazine, March 2009. (Review on Ivor Mairants guitar competition) | “…a truly memorable concert… I have been fortunate enough to attend quite a few classical guitar recitals, and in my book this ranks as one of the most exciting and inspiring I have been to yet.” Dorset Guitar Society Newsletter March 2010 “There is a beautiful understanding of voices within the piece (Diabelli Sonata), with all its subtle changes in dynamics and tempo. She allows the music to breathe in a manner that would please the composer. There are many performers who have the technical ability, but in my opinion there are few who have raised the performance of the classical guitar to an art form. Sanja has, and is a pleasure to listen to for the musicality and intelligence with which she approaches the music.” Laura Markee, Westland, US “Her natural musicality and technical virtuosity are complemented by very delicate sound control. Her musical expression is outstanding, and her sense of musical structure, motives, and phrasing is both deep and resonant throughout her performances.” Zoran Dukić “Sanja Plohl is an excellent young guitarist. I worked with her in the performance of contemporary compositions and found her to have a superb technique and a wonderful musical disposition.” David Starobin “…with her performance, the second‑year student at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, who has received the highest prizes at national and international competitions, proved herself to be one of the most promising young Slovene musicians.” Večer, 18 March 2003 |
PRIZES
First prize
Seville International Guitar Competition (Spain)
Ivor Mairants Award (London, UK)
Córdoba Guitar Festival International Competition (Spain)
Guitarmania International Guitar Competition (Lisbon, Portugal)
Comarca el Condado International Guitar Competition (Spain)
Ciudad de Llerena International Guitar Competition (Spain)
Arjau Music interpretation competition (Barcelona, Spain)
29th TEMSIG- Slovene national music competition (Slovenia)
Audience prize
Luys Milan International Competition (Ontinyent, Spain)
Miguel Llobet International Competition (Barcelona, Spain)
Second and other prizes
Guitar Art Festival (Belgrade, Serbia)
Iserlohn International Guitar Competition (Germany)
Gevelsberg International Guitar Competition (Germany)
Enrico Mercatali European Guitar Competition (Gorizia, Italy)
International competition of Zwolle Guitar Festival (The Netherlands)
Miguel Llobet International Competition (Barcelona, Spain)
Luys Milan International Competition (Ontinyent, Spain)
Ciutat d’Elx International Guitar Competition (Spain)
Ciudad de Vélez– Málaga International Guitar Competition (Spain)
Spanish National Guitar Competition Cincilia (Albacete, Spain)
Josep Ferrer International Guitar Competition (Gerona, Spain)
Kitarika International Guitar Competition(Koper, Slovenia)
Simone Salmaso International Guitar Competition (Viareggio, Italy)
Ivan Padovec International Guitar Competition (Opatija, Croatia)
35th TEMSIG- Slovene national music competition (Slovenia)
32nd TEMSIG- Slovene national music competition (Slovenia)
31st TEMSIG- Slovene national music competition (Slovenia)
Special prize
Diploma di Merito: “Accademia Chigiana“ (Siena, Italy)
Finalist at 27th Andrés Segovia International Competition (La Herradura, Spain)
Best participant prize at Rust Guitar Festival (Austria)
Best performance of Catalan music at Miguel Llobet Competition (Barcelona, Spain)
Strings only International Summer School (Zadar, Croatia)
Radio Slovenia prize at Slovene national music competition (Slovenia)
Special prize for best participants at “Glasbeni julij na obali” summer academy (Koper, Slovenia)