Wolfgang Völkl on SoundBetter

Composer for movies and theatre stages. Songwriter for bands and singers. Arranger for choirs, bands, orchestras, ensembles. Session pianist ranging from pop to country to blues to jazz and classical.

I made my degree in musicology (M.A.) in 2012 and have since been active as a freelance composer and musician.
As a composer I did a few short films ("Vom Fallen der Dominosteine", "Control my life"), but have been specialising more in music for the theatre stage. In the last years I've mainly worked with Theater Duisburg but also some smaller companies, composing, arranging and music, creating musical concepts and leading musical performances for plays such as Samuel Beckett's "Endgame", Woody Allen's "Broadway Danny Rose", Patrick Marber's "Don Juan in Soho" or William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
As a songwriter I've worked mainly for my own bands, but also for films and theatre. My style is rooted in folksy singer-songwriter classics, but also draws upon my experiences in Jazz, Piano Blues and contemporary classical music.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

4 Reviews

Endorse Wolfgang Völkl

by Oliver Karbus
Bei den Wallensteinfestspielen Altdorf, wo ich im "Festspiel" Regie führte, war Wolfgang Völkl mein musikalischer Leiter. Unsere Zusammenarbeit war in jeder Hinsicht großartig. Seine Einfälle, sowohl musikalisch als auch wo im Stück Musik möglich und gut, bzw notwendig ist, sind immer klar und oft im besten Sinne des Wortes, verblüffend. Es ist ein Vergnügen, mit Wolfgang Völkl zusammenzuarbeiten. Sein Können, sein Wissen, sein Gefühl für Athmosphären, aber auch für musikalische "Kommentare" sind eine Bereicherung für jede Produktion. Er ist ein Meister.
by Bashar Al Murabea
Amazing 🤩
by Anja Noël, Stückwerkstatt Schimmert
Ein absoluter Gewinn für jede Produktion, sowohl künstlich als auch zwischenmenschlich! Jederzeit wieder gerne im Team
by Thomas
Ausgesprochen kreativ. Professionell. Zuverlässig. Multitalent. Feiner Humor.

Interview with Wolfgang Völkl

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: A solo album with a kind of New Orleans Piano Blues Songwriter Sound. And a series of short pieces for chamber orchestra based on the concept of Japanese Haiku poems.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: That it's a different job with different problems and solutions every time.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been doing this full time since 2012, ever since I graduated from university. But it basically already started in my teens, with my first bands and with composing music for my high school's theatre company.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Bob Dylan - because I really can't imagine how he comes up with something so out of the ordinary and yet so neatly produced. John Williams - because he's like a living remnant of an era long gone by, and there are thing every composer should learn, which probably only this man can still teach you by now.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Thinking out of the box - or rather combining different boxes.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Simplicity combined with the little special twist that makes it not so simple after all. Plus, most of the time, a tiny dose of humor.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: It all begins with playing. Toying with ideas, playing anything that comes to my mind, until something sticks long enough to become the basic idea. And then it's all about structure, planning, having a concept without lose end. Once that is done in my head, I work my way along these lines, starting from my basic idea. (But I also think it's important to alway be prepared to throw anything away in middle of it all and start new or go to some other place entirely)
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I try to keep it simple. An i Mac, to monitors, a MIDI controller with 88 keys, a wonderful old upright piano from the 1930ies in the room next door, a good microphone, headphones, and that's it, basically.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Erik Satie.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Theatre Music. Including everything from composing to arranging to playing live.