Tim Kliphuis (NL)

About

Also known as: Tim Kliphouse

Tim Kliphuis is a Dutch violinist from Utrecht who has made a career out of blurring the lines between gypsy jazz, classical music, and folk. He first came to wider attention in 1999 when he joined Belgian gypsy guitar legend Fapy Lafertin, touring Europe and recording three albums before stepping out as a solo artist in 2004. Trained at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, he developed his improvisational voice in the style of Stéphane Grappelli, and has since performed at venues like the Concertgebouw alongside folk festivals such as Celtic Connections. He has recorded and shared stages with Angelo Debarre, Martin Taylor, the Rosenberg Trio, and Richard Galliano, among others. In recent years Kliphuis has leaned into large scale composition with a strong environmental focus, describing himself as a climate composer. His suite The Five Elements and Triple Concerto Phoenix Rising both engage with the state of the planet, and in 2022 he performed for the Swedish royal family during a sustainability themed state visit in Stockholm. His 2016 Sony Classical release Reflecting the Seasons, a reimagining of Vivaldi's Four Seasons for improvising trio and string orchestra, hit number one on the iTunes classical chart after he performed at the Dutch King's Day concert.