DAVID KOLLAR (42)

Award-winning guitarist, composer and visual artist from Slovakia.

With more than 50 releases, over 20 film scores, music for theatre productions and collaborations with artists including Steven Wilson, Pat Mastelotto, Trey Gunn, Arve Henriksen, Erik Truffaz, Christian Fennesz and Eivind Aarset, David Kollar has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary European experimental music.

Working across progressive rock, jazz, avant-garde, ambient, experimental and contemporary music, Kollar has developed a unique artistic language that transcends genres and conventional musical boundaries.

His work spans experimental music, film scores, theatre productions, visual art, books and multimedia projects. Whether performing solo or collaborating internationally, he continually explores new sonic territories, creating immersive works driven by atmosphere, emotion and artistic curiosity.

Slovak experimental guitarist and composer David Kollar has emerged as one of the most intriguing figures on the European avant-garde and contemporary music scene. His unique approach to both the guitar and composition has earned recognition from audiences, critics and fellow musicians around the world.

Kollar's extensive catalogue reveals a constantly evolving artistic identity. Each project represents a new chapter in an ongoing exploration of sound, improvisation, atmosphere and emotion. His music combines elements of contemporary classical music, ambient, jazz, experimental electronics, progressive music, Eastern European influences and free improvisation into a singular artistic voice.

David approaches every project with deep personal commitment. He treats the guitar not merely as an instrument, but as a tool for translating complex ideas, emotions and experiences into sound. Much like a painter uses a brush or a sculptor a chisel, Kollar uses texture, space and tone to create immersive musical worlds.

To date, he has released more than 50 recordings, scored over 20 films, composed music for theatre productions and participated in numerous international multimedia projects.

In 2015, David co-founded KOMARA together with Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson) and Paolo Raineri. The project quickly gained international attention and further established Kollar's position within the global experimental music community. KOMARA's debut album was championed by members of Tool, who shared the project through their official channels, while guitarist and visual artist Adam Jones created the album's cover artwork.

As a guitarist and sound designer, David has contributed to several Steven Wilson projects, including To The Bone (2017), No-Man's Love You To Bits (2019), The Harmony Codex (2023) and Harmonic Divergence (2024).

Over the years, he has collaborated with a diverse range of internationally acclaimed artists including Steven Wilson, Pat Mastelotto, Trey Gunn, Arve Henriksen, Erik Truffaz, Christian Fennesz, Eivind Aarset, Tim Bowness, Gergo Borlai, Paolo Raineri, Marco Minnemann, Lukas Ligeti, Rick Cox and many others.

He has also participated in a series of improvised recording sessions with acclaimed film composer Thomas Newman, exploring spontaneous composition, texture and sonic experimentation.

Pat Mastelotto describes David's music as:

"An interesting combination of Eastern European classical influences, jazz, ambient, techno, IDM, trippy heavy blues rock mixed with eastern folk styles, played on a homemade guitar through a quirky combination of pedals and effects. Critics often like to put music into categories, but with David's music that's very difficult to do."

Alongside music, David develops a growing body of visual artwork, including charcoal drawings, ink studies and mixed-media works. He also writes a bilingual blog and regularly publishes a podcast in Slovak, sharing reflections on creativity, music, travel and everyday life.

Awards and Nominations: 

TOP 13 Records of The Year - Guitar Moderne Magazine USA 

TOP album Ádécouvrir Absolument France 

TOP album Slovak doba.sk 

Radio Head awards Nomination for The best jazz album 

Radio Head awards Nomination for The best album 

Best Ever Albums of 2015

TOP 50 Best albums by PITCHFORK 2015

Progressive rock TOP albums 2015 

Hudba.sk Nomination for The best album of the year 

TMMP TOP albums of The year 2015

 Slovak Film and TV academy - Nomination for the best film score of 2016 

 101 Modern guitarist of 21th century, Prepared Guitar Spot  Portugal 

The Best Documentary film - NOMINATION Karlove Vary International film festival 2015 

Top albums Musical Melting Pot

TOP 20 Prog Mag

Top 20 CKCU

Top 20 Gagliar Archives

Radio Head Awards - Award for Contribution to the Music 2018

Radio Head Awards - Nomination for the best album of 2018

Slovak Film and TV academy - award for the best film score of 2019

Album of the year - Nomination by Tatra Banka Fundation 2020

TOP 50 Albums of 2020 by The fragmented flaneur

TOP 20 albums by hudba.sk 2020

Radio Head Awards - Nomination for the best jazz album of 2020

Radio Head Awards - Nomination for the best jazz experimental of 2020

Radio Head Awards - Nomination for the best word music album of 2020

The best jazz album of 2020 - Esprit awards 2021

Album of the year - Nomination by Tatra Bank Fundation 2021

The best jazz album of 2023 - Esprit awards 2024


 

Collaborations: 

Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) 

Erik Truffaz 

Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mr. Mister) 

Arve Henriksen (David Sylvian. Supersilent) 

Rick Cox (Jon Hassell, Ry Cooder, Thomas Newman)

Eivind Aarset (Nils Petter Molvaer, Jon Hassel) 

Christian Fennesz (Mike Patton, Ryuichi Sakamoto) 

Trey Gunn (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, David Sylvian) 

Lenka Dusilová (Lucie, Pusa, Čechomor)

Tadeusz Sudnik (Tomasz Stanko)

Gergo Borlai (Frank Gambale, Tony Macalpine)

Marco Minnemann (Joe Satriani, Aristocrats)

Nad Sylvan (Steve Hackett)

Lukas Ligeti

Jonathan Crossley

Paolo Raineri (Ottone Pesante)

Nils Petter Molvaer