UJAM Acquires Virharmonic to Expand Its Virtual Instruments

UJAM has announced an agreement to acquire the assets of Virharmonic, the Czech boutique software developer known for its highly expressive orchestral instruments and performance-focused sampling technology. The agreement, signed October 29 and announced November 2, brings a company that has spent years developing realistic solo instruments into UJAM’s broader music software business, with founder Ondrej Švec continuing to direct the Virharmonic product line. The move follows a development relationship spanning over seven years, during which Virharmonic has used UJAM’s Gorilla Engine to build its instruments.

The acquisition is particularly interesting because Virharmonic has developed its reputation around a relatively specific problem in virtual instrument design: making sampled instruments respond to the musical decisions a performer makes while playing. Rather than requiring composers to manually select individual articulations, bowing techniques, and transitions between notes, its Bohemian instruments use an automated performance system to interpret incoming MIDI and select appropriate recorded material.

For UJAM, the agreement brings an established virtual instrument developer with experience building sophisticated performance systems on technology the company already owns. The two businesses have worked together for years, so the acquisition does not require Virharmonic to migrate its instruments onto an unfamiliar platform.

It also gives UJAM access to a team whose expertise complements its existing Virtual Guitarist, Virtual Pianist, and orchestral instrument collections, particularly in the areas of solo performance and detailed instrumental expression.

Why UJAM Is Acquiring a Developer It Already Works With

UJAM was founded in 2009 by Peter Gorges, Hans Zimmer, and Pharrell Williams, and has developed a software catalog containing over 80 instruments and effects. Its products generally concentrate on making specific musical tasks accessible through simplified interfaces, automated performance functions, and predefined playing styles. Virtual Guitarist, Virtual Bassist, Virtual Drummer, and the Symphonic Elements series are examples of that approach, providing recorded instrumental material and software systems that help producers create performances without programming every individual note or articulation.

Virharmonic has developed a related approach through its Bohemian instrument series, although its primary emphasis has been on detailed solo performances and the subtle differences in how acoustic musicians play. The company has spent years developing systems that respond to incoming MIDI, interpret phrasing, and select recorded articulations according to the performance.

These instruments contain extensive sample libraries, but the playback technology is central to how composers interact with them.

When I covered UJAM’s decision to open Gorilla Engine to third-party developers earlier this year, one of the central considerations was how independent companies could develop, license, and distribute software instruments without building their own supporting infrastructure. Virharmonic provides an established example of that business model, having developed its instruments on the platform long before UJAM began expanding public access to the technology.

The acquisition also offers an indication of how UJAM intends to develop its position as a software technology provider. Supporting outside developers is one part of that business, while incorporating the expertise of an established Gorilla Engine user could contribute to future improvements across the company’s own products.

What Makes Virharmonic’s Instruments Different?

Virharmonic’s catalog includes Bohemian Violin, Bohemian Viola, Bohemian Cello, Bohemian Clarinet, and Bohemian Bass Core, alongside its Instant and Prim instrument lines. The company’s products are designed primarily for composers who need realistic solo performances, with particular attention to how the instrument responds while someone is playing a MIDI keyboard.

The Bohemian Violin provides a good example of the underlying technology. Its Virtual Performer system selects articulations and playing techniques according to the incoming performance, including variations in legato, bow direction, note length, and dynamics. Rather than loading separate patches for every technique, composers can perform musical phrases while the software determines which recorded samples are appropriate.

The instrument includes techniques such as staccato, spiccato, pizzicato, ricochet, tremolo, harmonics, and multiple legato styles. It also provides different performance configurations, allowing musicians to work with solo, trio, and chamber-oriented arrangements. These functions are intended to reduce the amount of manual MIDI editing needed to create a convincing string performance.

This distinction matters because recording a large sample library and making it responsive to a musician are separate technical challenges.

An instrument can contain thousands of meticulously recorded samples while still requiring substantial manual adjustment to achieve realistic phrasing. Virharmonic has concentrated on developing software that interprets how notes are played and automatically selects the appropriate recorded transitions.

This interest in realistic instrumental performance connects with other areas of UJAM’s catalog. Our article on Virtual Guitarist CINEDREAM examined how UJAM combined recorded guitar performances with effects, performance controls, and compositional tools for cinematic music. Virharmonic’s instruments address a different part of the scoring process, with greater emphasis on solo instrumental phrasing and the relationship between MIDI performance and sampled articulations.

Virharmonic Will Retain Its Brand and Creative Direction

UJAM has confirmed that Virharmonic will continue operating under its existing brand, with Ondrej Švec retaining responsibility for creative direction and new instruments already in development. Current customers will maintain access to their purchases through the Virharmonic website, and the company intends to continue providing product support.

The two companies have also not announced changes to Virharmonic’s pricing, product compatibility, or distribution arrangements.

The continued involvement of Švec provides some reassurance that the company’s established approach to instrument development will remain part of its future plans. Virharmonic has developed its catalog around a relatively specialized area of virtual instrumentation, and maintaining that direction appears to be an important part of UJAM’s intentions.

UJAM founder Peter Gorges also emphasized the company’s interest in retaining the qualities that established Virharmonic’s reputation, with the larger organization providing additional resources and access to international markets.

Further information is available through the official websites for UJAM, Virharmonic, and Gorilla Engine.