Gilles Rullmann

Welcome to the website of fiddle player, guitarist and singer Gilles Rullmann!

Gilles plays Irish traditional music, regularly crossing over into various other folk music traditions and his own compositions. You can use the navigation buttons at the top of this page to stroll around the site.

"An outstanding fiddle-player" - folkforum.nl

- Voor Nederlands klik hier -

Photo: Ineke Oostveen

News

11-05-2011
Just back from a tour in the UK with Maalstroom: great concerts, wonderful audiences (we even got a speech from someone after a concert, before the encore - a first for us), beautiful venues (even if a bit small at times: the first night we had to play sitting down because we didn't fit between the stage and the ceiling... Strangely small people, those British.). This week we're in de Tobbe in Voorburg with Jo and without Jo in the Oosterkerk in Amsterdam (see tourdates).

11-02-2011
The plaster has been removed! My wrist feels odd and strange and it'll be a while before it regains its mobility, but playing the fiddle goes amazingly well. So I'm very much looking forward to the gigs in Folkclub Brielle and the Irish Cottage this week and the next.
On the side you'll find the only picture that was taken of my wrist-in-plaster (made by Sophie) during a Bound for the Waves rehearsal.

Meanwhile the first reviews for 'Meet' start appearing in the UK. Rock 'n Reel wrote: 'Top Dutch acoustic quartet Maalstroom team up here with chameleonic mistress of all things reedy, Jo Freya …, for a buoyant, blustery bounce through a thoroughly joyous set of tunes, leavened with a sprinkling of more reflective songs...This is ensemble playing of the highest order....A collaboration of genuine class and imagination.' A nice one to accompany us on our next UK tour in May.

In April I will teach a workshop at the Lage Landen-weekend of the SVN in honour of my uncle Bert Aalbers, who passed away in 2007, celebrating his rich collection of compositions.

04-01-2011
Bad news: I broke my wrist last week. All concerts in January have been cancelled, what happens after that will gradually become clearer... Wish you all a very good 2011!

03-10-2010
A short update: the 'meet' cd-launch in Amsterdam was a great success and a very nice afternoon. Meanwhile the first reviews have been published, and so far they're all very positive! Folkforum, for instance, starts with: 'on cd again these virtuoso arrangements are a joy. From opening track Musicport..., with infectuous fiddle intro, which is then joined by a melodious clarinet until the harmoniously sung Closing Of The Day... the listener is taken on a whirling musical journey'. Rob van Niele of the Amsterdam Folkagenda was pleasantly surprised by the album, even after seeing the repertoire live several times: 'the crown on the collaboration', 'ripened further, attained greater heights', 'outstanding feeling for composition and tempo-change'. New Folk Sounds speaks of a 'many-sided, but mainly very nice' album, with 'sublime recording work'.
You'd almost forget we're normally a quartet, but the four of us just got back from Germany today. We had a great night in Helmstedt, where the reunion with the great Broom Bezzums was very enjoyable, and where Hanover band Emerald also played. After a very nice concert the session in Braunschweig was also very pleasant. Yesterday we taught workshops in Braunschweig's Brunsviga, and then we enjoyed our unamplified concert in the beautiful Herrenhaus in Sickte very very much. Only after three encores would they allow us to toast with them with the provided champagne. We had a great weekend! Thanks Sasahara for bringing us over!
The next thing to happen is the Herfstweek, where Michel and I will teach a week's workshop, and where Maalstroom will play on the Tuesday night, followed by the UK cd-launch at Musicport festival on the 23rd of October.

31-05-2010
Maalstroom & Jo Freya are just back from a wonderful UK tour, which brought us to a number of very nice village halls in England's mid-west, and introduced us to lots of great people. The audiences welcomed us very warmly, which made the tour very special. The tour was even more special because we just managed to bring our brand-new cd 'meet'! It won't be officially released in the Netherlands until September 5th (details follow) and in the UK until October 23rd (at the Musicport festival where the collaboration started), but we have it and you can even buy it in my webshop now! It will be released on the British 'No Masters' label. More details on the cd-presentations will follow shortly.

Before the UK-tour I played a lot with Bound for the Waves in Amsterdam, amongst which were our first-ever 'volcanic gigs' - we had to stand in for Irish musicians who couldn't fly because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland!

31-01-2010
Just a quick note between the recordings for the Maalstroom meets Jo Freya-cd! In the autumn we did a very nice tour together in the UK (amongst which the Musicport Festival and a concert as friends in Karen Tweed & friends) and in the Netherlands. This month we played several gigs in Holland, including a cooperation with wind orchestra Caecilia in Heiloo, which was a great experience. Amongst other pieces we played my composition Picus with over 40 wind-players, wonderful! Around the concerts we did most of the recordings for the album in Philip Masure's studio in Belgium, where we had a great time. We hope to do the last recordings in February, so the cd will be finished before our Village Hall Tour in the midlands in the UK in May. The cd will be released on the British 'No Masters'-label.

In February I'll be playing with Janos in Brielle. Finally I'd like to shine a little light on a new group which is quietly shaping it's sound (mostly visible now through regular gigs in Mulligan's, Amsterdam), and which will slowly set foot outside Amsterdam in the next year: Bound for the Waves, with Isaac Muller (flute), Theo Burghouts (bouzouki), Rob Forkner (bodhran) and Sophie ter Schure (vocals, guitar), and me. More info follows soon...

18-08-2009
Maalstroom meets Jo Freya has had a flying start! After a very enjoyable try-out the official premiere was at Folkwoods Festival in Eindhoven. National newspaper de Volkskrant wrote: 'Just before the finale on Sunday the Dutch quartet Maalstroom and Scottish singer and saxophonist Jo Freya produced the most delicate/sophisticated surprise of Folkwoods 2009: wonderfully arranged and sparkingly rendered compositions for reed-instruments (clarinet and sax), fiddle, guitar and percussion. With their mainly self-written work new grounds are covered on the borderline between folk, jazz and classical.'

18-06-2009
Oops, time flies! It has been a great season: wonderful workshops, a (partly renewed) collaboration with Isaac Muller, Sophie ter Schure and Theo Burghouts, wonderful gigs, amongst which the concert in Grevenbroich (DE) with Janos, and the packed Ol Schoultje in Middelstum and Wilde Töne Festival in Braunschweig, Germany with Maalstroom bring us especially good memories.
Something else I'm still very excited about is that I've been playing a wonderful 5-string fiddle since December. It's a beautiful instrument by Oregon-based violin maker Jon Franke, and opens up entire new worlds to explore!

For next season I'd like to highlight the SVN Herfstweek in October, where Gerwil Kusters (Parne Gadje), Job Cornelissen (dancer, actor and Maalstroom's percussionist/singer) and I will be teaching an exciting theatrical music-week.

But we're mainly looking ahead towards Maalstroom's 10th Anniversary collaboration with UK singer/saxophonist Jo Freya. Now that the Summer's here, we're all excited to start playing the new programme we wrote and arranged, and rehearsed during several very enjoyable weekends. We've a try-out on 14th August in Haarlem, and kick off in NL at Folkwoods Festival on August 16th. The UK presentation of the programme will be at Bridlington's Musicport09 Festival. View the tourdates for the other concerts in NL/UK. You can preview some of the first rehearsals on our myspace-page, which also has the first Maalstroom-films (still without Jo). On the left you can see the first (wintery!) photo of Maalstroom with Jo Freya, more are to be found on the photos-page. Have a great Summer!

Photo: Ineke Oostveen

27-12-2008
The year has almost ended. It was a wonderful year, lots of nice concerts, workshops, the release of 'Open window' and great reviews for that album and for 'Janos & Gilles'. We're looking forward to the new year too: Gilles organises a series of workshops in February/March (refreshing violin-technique, rhythmical bowing techniques, improvisation and an Irish fiddle weekend): view the workshop-page. Both Maalstroom and Janos & Gilles play several concerts in January (view tourdates), and both will be going to Germany for the first time in June. Looking further ahead, Maalstroom will be celebrating it's 10th Anniversary at the end of the year, with a project with one of the mainstays of the British folkscene: singer and saxophonist Jo Freya. We've just had our first rehearsal-period, some recordings of which will be up on our myspace-site soon.
For now I wish you all a great 2009, hope to meet you all somewhere down the line!

08-11-2008
The influential English roots-music magazine fROOTS reviewed 'janos & gilles': "Janos Koolen and Gilles Rullmann are a Dutch instrumental/vocal duo playing combinations of guitar, fiddle and mandolin. The music breathes freely and effortlessly, purloining Irish and Scottish pages with equal aplomb. Rich and subtle, the playing exudes energy and accomplishment." In short: 'Thumbs up'

28-10-2008
We're just back from a wonderful UK tour: with Maalstroom we played at the Musicport Festival in Bridlington. The festival had a great lineup, with e.g. Toumani Diabaté, Ivo Papasov, Bob Brozman, Warsaw Village Band, Norma & Mike Waterson, Martin Simpson and many others. It was very well organised, there was a great atmosphere, a beautiful venue, and we got a very very warm welcome from both the organisation and the audience. Photo's of the tour can be found here!
Straight from the ferry I went to the SVN Herfstweek, where I taught at this great 'summer' school. This was also very well organised with great atmosphere. We worked very hard, heard and played wonderful music and met very nice people!

august 2008
Welcome back after a long Summer! With strong legs but stiff hands I started playing the fiddle again after two months on a bicycle. Three nice gigs last week in Dordrecht with Janos loosened up the fingers again. This weekend we played at Folkwoods Festival. A great festival, we saw lots of nice bands, met lots of friends. Mirjam Adriaans wrote on folkforum.nl: "...Janos & Gilles, who played a strong set, with a sophisticated mix of (Irish) folk, bluegrass and americana... Wonderfully aloof and virtuosically played." The picture below is by the great photographer Ronald Rietman. For more pictures see the pictures-page.

Meanwhile, a first video of the 'Janos & Gilles' cd-presentation is up on youtube and on my myspace-site. Even though still a bit of a provisional recording you'll get the picture (thanks Rob Smaling!).

Furthermore Maalstroom's Open Window was reviewed in English fRoots magazine: "Dutch band on their third album of semi-contemporary Celtic music in vein not dissimilar to Moving Hearts and latterday Planxty. Tightly bound arrangements, evocative playing and judiciously placed notes and quavers abound. These guys do the right things the right way." Maalstroom will be playing on the 31st of August in the Bostheater in Ommen.

20-05-08
Lots of news: first the Maalstroom UK tour mentioned below. The tour was a mixed success: on the way over we were involved in a severe car crash in Northern France. Luckily we got away with a few cuts and bruises, and all the instruments were fine, but the van was a write-off. We managed to get to England, but too late for our first concert - we deeply apologise to all who showed up in vain! The rest of the tour was a great success though, and we don't know if it was the stress being released or the great audience or the nice venue, but in Otley Courthouse we played our best concert to date (we thought...)! We'll be back in October for the Musicport Festival (formerly Whitby Musicport).
Speaking of Maalstroom, the album Open Window was reviewed in Dutch pop-magazine Heaven: "Traditionally sounding, excellently executed folk-music with rhythmical or jazzy surprises here and there is what we find on Open Window by the outstanding group Maalstroom. Virtuosic, familiar and yet exciting." (rating: four stars = top of its genre)

Then after this week's gigs (Utrecht, Heemstede) and workshop (Amsterdam), I'll be away for two months, cycling through France with my family - so I apologise beforehand if I'm a bit slow replying to e-mails! Friends will be staying in our house, the bicycles are ready and almost packed, now let's hope for some good weather.

Afterwards Janos & I will be playing at Folkwoods festival (see tourdates for this and more concerts after the Summer). I'll be teaching again at the SVN Herfstweek (view www.herfstweek-svn.nl for more details), which is now open for subscription. I'll also teach a children's group in Heerhugowaard in November. But for now: Have a great Summer everyone!

01-04-08
Janos & Gilles will play at Folkwoods festival in Eindhoven on Saturday the 9th of August! Meanwhile the Flemish folk-music-magazine Goe Vollek! reviewed their cd: "In times of samples and other electronics it is quite daring to make a cd with just two simple stringed instruments and here and there a voice. Janos Koolen and Gilles Rullmann took on the challenge and did it well. These Dutchmen clearly know how to handle mandolin, guitar and fiddle. Every attack, every note is played right which shows these are true masters at work...Janos & Gilles manage to sound full within their bareness. The enjoyment comes rolling out of the speakers... No bombastic fuss, but bring out the soul of a melody, that's what they do." In the same issue Maalstroom's Open Window is reviewed: "Wonderful start of a cd that grips your attention to the end... Instrumentally Maalstroom stands hugely firm. Especially Gilles Rullmann enchants with his robust fiddle parts." Maalstroom will be going to England in May, we've just booked the ferry and are looking forward to the trip!

12-03-08
Next Monday (St. Patrick's Day!) I was supposed to play with Joe Connolly in Amsterdam & Haarlem, but he broke his rib so unfortunately can't make it to Holland. Instead, I'll play with Janos in Mulligan's, Amsterdam, from 16-20h, and with Danny Guinan in O'Brien's, Haarlem, from around 21h onwards. See you all there?

10-03-08
I'm just back from a great Irish fiddle workshop-weekend on the island of Vlieland. There I was handed the first review of the new Maalstroom cd: "With the album Open Window Maalstroom proves it's one of the best folkbands in the Netherlands. With the quality of the band in mind, international success should be within hand's reach." (Assie Aukes on www.folkforum.nl). "It seems like musical influences from all over Europe have floated through the windows in the Schotersingel-house and have been absorbed by the band as a whole". About Gilles, working on, according to Assie, a 'total advance in the Dutch folkscene', he writes: "Gilles Rullmann excellently found his place in the band... He impresses as a composer and as a fiddle player".

11-02-2008
More reviews for 'janos & gilles': the Concertzender (Dutch radio) featured a full hour's program dedicated to both the new Maalstroom and to 'janos & gilles'. Of the last they wrote: 'On the album "Janos & Gilles" the duo Janos & Gilles show that two can be enough... the music stands out because of the enjoyment and the challenging way in which the two musicians play with each other and react to one another. Beautiful improvisations and a wide approach to what folk music can be. Here we also hear a lot of their own compositions, rooted in Irish music and Bluegrass. The tracks go from swinging and driving to melancholical and with an inward feel. But all the time the enjoyment shines through.' Marcel Blok, Concertzender, Wereldmuziek Actua. Meanwhile Rob van Niele of Stichting Mokum Folk found the album spine-tingling, and called 'Janos Koolen & Gilles Rullmann a perfect musical duo'. Janos & Gilles will be playing in Utrecht (Hofman on the Janskerkhof) on Monday, 25th Feb, @21.00h. Pictures of the live radio show for Vroege Vogels are on the photos page.

21-01-2008
A lot to tell: the 'janos & gilles' album was reviewed on the Belgian folksite folkroddels.be: 'I'll get straight to the point: Janos & Gilles are a class-act on their instruments. Their skill is miles ahead of the average', or shortly: 'Great stuff!'. We'll be playing live on national radio 1 this Sunday 27th, between 9.00-10.00 in 'Vroege Vogels' (can be heard here for a week after the show).

The new Maalstroom album 'open window' is out now! Have a look on the renewed website www.maalstroom.net. I recorded and mixed the album, we've done the first few concerts to support it, we'll be playing live on radio Amsterdam FM this Tuesday morning and Friday afternoon and the official presentation is this Friday 25th in Amsterdam (Noorderlicht, tt. Neveritaweg 15, NDSM-werf, 21.30h). All welcome!
In March (7th-9th) I'll be teaching a workshop Irish fiddle on the Island of Vlieland. Look here for more info.

01-12-07
We had a great night at the 'janos & gilles'-cd presentation. We'd like to thank all who were there for your support and enthusiasm! After working together on the album for months it's great to be sharing the music live with the audience again.
This morning the Dutch magazine New Folk Sounds came out with an interview dedicated to the new album.

28-11-07
It's the day before the 'janos & gilles'-cd presentation and the first review on the Dutch folk-portal 'folkforum' is online! From the review: 'Fiddle, guitar and mandolin are played both with an infectious drive and with spine-tingling subtlety. It covers widely varying moods, from driving and swinging to touching and melancholic. It always sounds pure and the enjoyment sparks off the interaction between the two.' There's praise for the mixing of Irish and bluegrass-influences: 'You bet it works!', there are 'sparkling strings, soulful singing, exciting and engaging fiddle, bouncing mandolin'... Anyway, if you're around, come to the cd-presentation tomorrow, if not: the album's for sale in the webshop!

02-11-07
'Janos & Gilles' is on the way! The CD will be presented in Haarlem, at the Rosenstock-Huessy-huis, on Thursday November 29th at 20h! See the flyer below.

You can already listen to a few samples in the updated webshop, (which can now take international orders too!) and on www.myspace.com/gillesrullmann. Apart from the cd-presentation you can hear us live in Mulligan's (Amsterdam, 8th Nov, 21.30h), in the KLEINkunsttheatre (Boerhoorn, Oosterweg 14, Zuidwolde, 10th Nov, 20h) and in the Mosterdzaadje (Santpoort, 23rd Nov, 20.00h), so come along and have a listen!

27-10-07
Please mark in your agendas: Janos & Gilles cd-presentation will most probably be on Thursday November 29th, in Haarlem! More info soon.

23-09-07
A quick update in very busy times: the Janos & Gilles CD is almost finished! We're working on the final mix and cover design at the moment, and it should be out in November - official release date and CD-presentation will be announced very shortly. Meanwhile we're close to finishing the Maalstroom-CD recordings - CD to be released in January. Apart from that plenty of workhops and gigs coming up, next year another UK-tour with Maalstroom. Hope to see you all down the line somewhere!

18-07-07
Time flies! The Maalstroom UK-tour is far behind us already, but it was brilliant: great tour, great people, great gigs. Thanks to all for giving us such a warm welcome! Meanwhile we're in the middle of Summer, although you wouldn't think so with all the rain. Lately I've been workin on setting up a little mobile recording facility, which Janos and I will be using for recording our first duo-album later this Summer.
August will also bring me my last gig with Tjane (at Folkwoods festival), which I'll be leaving after a few nice years with the band. After the Summer we'll start recording for the new Maalstroom album, which we're currently writing and arranging the music for.
Now it's just a matter of hoping for slightly more stable Summer weather!

15-05-07
The latest news just before we head to the UK: this weekend Maalstroom will be playing in Baston (Th), Whitby (Fr), Gateshead (Sa) and Reeth (Su). The Baston gig's already sold out, so we're really looking forward to the trip! The Summer will be spent working on a few CD's to be released later this year. Workshopwise there's the SVN Herfstweek in October, and very far away there's an Irish fiddleweekend I'd like to point out from 7-9th March 2008. Have a great Summer!

13-03-2007
Just finished this winter's series of workshops ('high quality - enormously enjoyable - well organised - thoroughly enjoyed the playing, learned a lot') - just in time, because Spring arrived a few days ago! Joe Connolly's coming over to Holland for St. Patrick's Day later this week, so do come along to celebrate it with us in O'Brien's in Haarlem. The 21st will see us in Mulligan's, Amsterdam, before Joe's back off to Spain. Furthermore there's VetFolk soon (a workshop-weekend for kids from 8-17yrs), we're going to England with Maalstroom in May, and a few new CD's are quietly being prepared - more info soon!

27-01-2007
Last week I made another move into cyberspace by setting up my own Myspace-page: apart from finding info that can also be found on this website (bio, tourdates, pictures) you can listen to four complete tracks (two from the demo with Janos, and two from 'my eyes'), and visit lots of links to other great musicians, who also have their songs and tunes up on myspace. Have a listen, and if you're also on myspace we can become friends too :-) ! See www.myspace.com/gillesrullmann

05-12-2006
Now that a busy semester is slowly coming to its conclusion I'll just look back on a few things: in October I had a fantastic intermission; I guided a seakayaking trip in the Calanques near Marseille - beautiful area. For the sports- and nature minded amongst you musicians: a must-see, magnificent sea-caves, deep-blue sea, picturesque little harbours, splendid archipelagoes: if ever you want to come along, call me or look up www.stip-yaks.com. For a change I even put some sea-kayaking pictures on the site: look here!
Now back to music: had a very good SVN-workshop-week: nice group, worked hard, good music, nice staff. The rest of the Autumn was filled with nice workshops and gigs with Tjane, Maalstroom and last Sunday with Janos in a completely packed Mosterdzaadje: ten minutes before the show absolutely nobody could squeeze in anymore so we started: everyone in the audience thanks for braving the storm and for your enthusiasm!
You can still subscribe to the workshops after Christmas, all very welcome, look here for more info (in Dutch). See you all!

01-10-2006
The programme for my new workshop-series is ready! After a very successful first season last Spring there's another series this Winter: seven workshops this time between November and March: from bowing technique for fiddle players to better ensemble playing for all instruments, from an introduction to Irish Swing to dressing up your tunes and improvisation, and a great session to finish off the season! Click here for an overview in English, and here for all the details in Dutch...and be quick to subscribe, since spaces are limited!

With Janos Koolen I recorded a demo this Summer, listen to some samples on the Janos/Gilles-page!

And apart from all that, time's flying. After a 'homely' Summer dressed up with some nice festivals (Elastiek and Gooikoorts with Maalstroom, Dranouter and Triskell with Tjane, Vlieland with Janos) a very busy period's about to start: the theatre-season has begun already, the workshop-season is waiting at the door. Apart from my own series there are several workshops for the SVN: their Herfstweek, Irish Swing in Heerhugowaard and later VetFolk for kids aged 8-16. See workshops for info and the SVN-site for details and subscriptions.

15-07-06
Another personal high: last Tuesday our second son was born! Mother and son are in very good form. He's called Seppe - luckily. Last weekend Maalstroom played to a very enthusiastic audience at Gooikoorts (B.; what a great festival!). Until the last moment it was uncertain whether I could make it, because Barbara was very highly pregnant. In the end she (and now big brother Mick) came along to the festival, which made me promise the audience that if the child was born that night we'd call it Gooikoorts. Our relief was enormous that he stayed put for a few more days! At least until the Dranouter festival our home situation will be my main focus, so sorry if I'm a bit slower than normal reacting to your mails. And now off to bed...

14-06-06
I've just finished my workshop series. The reactions were very enthusiastic: 'Very good', '100% applicable', 'That'll keep me going for months', 'didactic approach more than outstanding', 'lots of fun' and with the 'best lunch I ever had in a workshop!'. 'I learned so much that I feel my playing has improved enormously.' There will be another series next year, so keep an eye on the site!
After a few very busy months a musically fairly quiet summer is about to start now, with a few nice festivals thrown in though: with Maalstroom we just played a very enthusiastic crowd at Elastiek Festival, and we hope to do so again next month at Gooikoorts (B.). With Tjane we'll be playing at the Dranouter Festival (B.) in August. Wish you all a very sunny Summer with lots of great music!

20-04-06
A few months ago I recorded some fiddle as a guest 20 april 2006 with very good blues/americana-guitarist (/singer/songwriter) Matthieu Brandt. The CD with the fiddle track has just been released, it's called Man in Shades, and was recorded with a fine selection of Dutch and American musicians. Great to suddenly be on a blues-album!
"Great skills - beautiful ensemble-playing" - my debut gig with Janos Koolen in Brielle was a great succes: "The audience very much appreciated their intense way of playing and enormous swing." The next few gigs have been booked so come see us if you're around some time.
Furthermore its workshop-season: just finished the Folk for Kids weekend which was great, my own Irish bowing workshop's this weekend, there are two workshops in Purmerend at the music school and in May my own series comes to its end with the Irish Swing workshop (nearly full, but if you're quick there might be a space left)! And looking towards the second half of the year: I'm doing the workshop week in the Glind again in October, teaching an ensemble group.
Oh, and there are pictures of the gig with Janos (in the photo-section): nicely black and white, could also have come straight from an old bluesrecord!

18-03-06
Just a few days back from a holiday and already taking a rest again, after St. Patrick's Day: Joe was over from Spain, we started in Mulligan's in the afternoon, to warm ourselves and the rapidly growing audience up - and left them at 7.30 in the capable hands of four musician's from Mayo to rush to O'Brien's in Haarlem, where the pub was brimming over with people in a great paddy's day mood. From sound-check to the last notes at 2.30 am it was a crazy cheering and bobbing mob: thanks for all the enthusiasm and great dancing! Now there are lots of workshops coming up (this Wednesday in the Amsterdam Muziekschool, Sunday my own 'international tour'-workshop), Tuesday a first try-out in Utrecht with Janos of our new programme-under-construction. It's a pity it's so cold here...

16-01-06
It's really too late to wish everyone all the best for the new year, but it promises to be a good year for music again! Lots of workshops - of course my own series of workshops (see the flyer, be fast, because full=full!), but also Folk For Kids in April, before that workshops at the Amsterdam Muziekschool and several private workshops - I'm looking forward to it. Moreover, lots of gigs - Maalstroom have a few nice ones coming up, since Tjane's CD-presentation all sorts of things are happening - we waved the Old Year goodbye live on Omroep Brabant and the first TV-gig is being prepared. Joe Connolly's coming back up from Spain for Paddy's Day, to do our now traditional double: afternoon in Mulligan's, Amsterdam/night in O'Brien's, Haarlem, and a first ever gig with multi-talent and -instrumentalist Janos Koolen in April in the brand new (opening in three weeks!) folkclub Brielle. So, wishing everyone lots of music and hope to see you all somewhere this year!

15-11-2005

Gilles organises a series of four workshops in the first half of 2006. The flyer's just 'fresh from the press' (in Dutch, click here). From technical depth to geographical breadth, from freely swinging to deeply moving: the workshops cover tone/technique for fiddle players (26-02-06), an international musical journey (all instruments, tunes from far and near, 26-03-06), Irish bowing for fiddle players (23-04-06) and Irish swing (for all instruments, 21-05-06). See lessons/workshops for more info!

It's also possible to organise workshops to fit: whether you want a masterclass with your festival, or let your music students discover Irish music, or you want your band to listen more closely to each other and play together more tightly, or you want to play music with great swing for a weekend with your orchestra: contact Gilles for more info (or see yet another flyer in Dutch: click here).

31-10-2005
Tjane's first CD has just been released (by Music and Words), it's called Mark! It will be officially presented on 27th November, all welcome! See the Tjane website for details, samples, lyrics, sheet music etc.

Just back from a wonderful Herfstweek: great atmosphere, good workshops, brilliant late sessions - a huge thanks to all participants!

August 2005
Welcome (back) on the site! Due to renovating a house and moving in the website has been shamefully out of date for the past few months, but we're working on lots of musical plans again, so come back often.

In the meantime there's lots of news: a series of concerts with Maalstroom in September (see tourdates), the new Tjane CD to be released on the 27th of November (everyone come and see the show!), a new Gerry Murray, Gilles Rullmann and Philip Masure website, the new Herfstweek workshops in October and Heerhugowaard workshop in November (see fiddle lessons), and of course there are always the regular lessons and private workshops which now take place in the new house. Hope to see you all soon! Gilles.

Great reviews after Folkwoods 2004! A few remarks from the reviews on Folkforum.nl:
"one of the discoveries of the [Folkwoods 2004] festival"
"fiddle-player Gilles Rullmann impressed me very much in an Irish set with Gerry Murray and Philip Masure"
"the new Dutch fiddle-talent"
"Together with experienced musicians like Gerry Murray (Shantalla) and Philip Masure (Urban Trad, Comas)...[Gilles Rullmann] brought a very energetic set"
"A trio that can do excellently in the folkclubs, so to be kept an eye out for."
See photos for a few impressions of the gig.