Priit Volmer graduated from the singing class of Tartu Heino Eller Music School in 2000 (teacher Henn Pai). In 2000–2004 he studied opera singing at the Estonian Academy of Music with Professor Virgilius Noreika, Professor Matti Pelo and Professor Jaakko Ryhänen. Since 2004 he is working on his Master’s degree with Professor Jaakko Ryhänen. Priit Volmer sung in the opera chorus at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu (1998–2000) and in the opera chorus at the Estonian National Opera (2000–2004). Since 2004 he is a soloist of the Estonian National Opera.
His repertoire includes the following roles: Don Alfonso (Mozart’s Così fan tutte),King Mark (Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde), Eichmann (Tüür’s Wallenberg), Alidoro (Rossini’s La Cenerentola), Leporello (Mozart’s Don Giovanni), King (Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges), Colline (Puccini’s La bohème), Titurel (Wagner’s Parsifal),Sparafucile, Ceprano (Verdi’s Rigoletto), Cesare Angelotti, Sciarrone (Puccini’s Tosca), Der Sprecher (Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte), Horn (Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera), Zuniga (Bizet’s Carmen), Priest (R. Eespere’s The Gourmets), Vagabond (Orff’sDie Kluge), Count Gremin (Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin), Mityukha (Mussorgsky’sBoris Godunov), Bartholomeus (E. Tubin’s Barbara von Tisenhusen), Marshal Ney (T. Kaumann’s I – Napoleon!),Bob (Menotti’sThe Old Maid and the Thief), Dog (T. Steiner’sWooing), Filiberto (Rossini’sSignor Bruschino), Monk (Verdi’s Don Carlo), Marquis d’Obigny, Doctor Grenvil (Verdi’s La traviata), Montano (Verdi’s Othello), Marcus, Black Bob and Tom (The Little Sweep by Britten). He has also sung opera roles at concert performances: Abimélech (Saint-Saëns’Samson et Dalilah), Publio (Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito), Nick (R. Kangro/K. A. Hermann’s Uku and Vanemuine), Il pedone (Catalani’s La Wally), Gesler (Rossini’s Guillaume Tell), Callistene (Donizetti’s Poliuto),Capellio (Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi), also roles in operettas and musicals: Andres Paas (E. Kerge/T. Raadik’s The Truth and Justice of Vargamäe), Colonel Pickering (Loewe’s My Fair Lady), etc.
Besides opera he has sung bass parts in oratorios – J. S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Magnificat, St. Matthew’s Passion andSt. John’s Passion, Schubert’s Mass in G major, Charpentier’s Te Deum, Beethoven’s Mass in C major; Verdi’s, Dvořák’s and Faure’s Requiems, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, as well as the part of the Priest and the Angel of Agony in Elgar’s oratorio The Dream of Gerontius. He has cooperated with Nargen Opera on the following operas: Haydn’s Life on the Moon (Buonafede), Beethoven’s Fidelio (Don Fernando) and with KaivConsort – Orff’s Moon (Vagabond). In cooperation with the Tallinn Philharmonics he sung the role of Uberto in Pergolesi’s opera La serva padrona. He has also acted the role of Ivo Schenkenberg in Hardi Volmer’s multimedia performance Tallinn Is Not Far Away.
In 2002 he was awarded the 1st Prize for the best interpretation of the songs by the Estonian composer Mart Saar. In 2005 Priit Volmer received the Harjumaa Theatre Prize for his role of Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. In 2008 he received the Marje and Kuldar Sink Young Singer award and the Best Colleague Prize of the Estonian National Opera. He has participated in the master classes by Maria Acda (2004), Rudolf Piernay (2005-2006) and David Jones (2009, Kungälv). Priit Volmer has played also drama roles in the productions of Theatre Varius: Benno Hansen (Sarapuu’s His Master’s Voice) and Nils Ferlin (Sarapuu’s Alone and Free).