Tuesday, July 15th 2025

Tim Kliphuis (jazz violin)

Award-winning Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis has created a brand new style that embraces classical, gypsy jazz and folk. Hailed as a ‘current-day improvising Paganini’, his inclusive and innovative approach to music has united audiences and is influencing a new generation of string players. Kliphuis has seen how music can influence people through the heart - a very different route than the mind. As a composer, he searches for ways to get people to actively care for the planet. For his newest piece ‘Kosmos’, he asked 5 Dutch star scientists about this, and translated their stories and knowledge into music. His journey is can be heard in the Dutch public radio podcast “Componeren of Verzuipen” (release: 20 May 2024); ‘Kosmos’ live performances with an ensemble of 17 young professional musicians will make people think (premiere: 1 June 2024 - support the Crowdfunding campaign here). An in-demand educator and author of the best-selling book “Gypsy Jazz Violin”, Tim is Professor of String Improvisation at the Conservatoire of Amsterdam and Director of the gypsy jazz summer school Grappelli-Django Camp. As a Sony Classical artist, Kliphuis recorded Vivaldi-inspired ‘Reflecting the Seasons’ in 2016, followed by ‘Brandenburg’, based on Bach’s Concertos, and his own ‘Ulysses’ Violin Concerto in 2018. He was awarded the Scottish Jazz Award, South African Woordfees Award and the Polish ‘Swing Raven’ Prize. After his master’s degree in classical violin at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, Kliphuis studied with the European Sinti gypsies. He recorded and toured with gypsy guitar legends Fapy Lafertin, The Rosenberg Trio and Angelo Debarre. An invitation to the Richard Strauss Festival in Germany started the Tim Kliphuis Trio (Nigel Clark, guitar and Roy Percy, double bass) whose mission is a ‘total music’ without stylistic barriers. They performed at the Amsterdam Canal Concert, curated the world fiddle night at Celtic Connections Glasgow, celebrated Stéphane Grappelli at the Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois-sur-Seine and shared the stage with Les Paul, Richard Galliano, Frankie Gavin, Martin Hayes and Daniel Hope. In between Trio tours and orchestral projects, the Tim Kliphuis Sextet with Nigel Clark, Roy Percy and string players Janneke van Prooijen, Frank Brakkee and Charles Watt continues to wow audiences across Europe: a colourful crossover approach to classical and jazz music.