Oliver Hartmann

Oliver Hartmann — born in Germany in 1970 — was At Vance's first vocalist and is today one of the most sought-after singers in the European melodic metal circuit. He recorded the band's first four albums — No Escape (1999), Heart of Steel (2000), Dragonchaser (2001) and Only Human (2002) — the period in which At Vance defined its formula: neoclassical power metal with literal adaptations of classical pieces by Vivaldi, Beethoven and Mozart. Singing that repertoire means dealing with melodies originally written for an instrument, not for a voice. After leaving, he formed Hartmann, a band under his own name, in which he plays a more direct melodic hard rock and takes on guitar and composition as well. His greater presence, though, is as guest singer and member of the touring band of Avantasia, Tobias Sammet's rock opera — a project bringing together dozens of vocalists from different bands on world tours. Hartmann belongs to that category of musicians whose voice is known to far more people than their name: heard on dozens of records and stages, almost always in the service of other people's work.