Julia Brüssel
Julia Brussels is a violinist and active in various musical fields: (free) jazz, free improvisation, ambient, dub, electroacoustic, global music.
From the beginning of her musical career, improvisation has always been an essential part of her music, alongside her passion for classical music. Inspired by a wide range of different styles and sounds, she has been composing and playing in bands and ensembles from very different music scenes since her youth (including OneDropLeft, Kommunikationsguerilla, Culture Jam, Tim Isfort Quartet, Burma Eye Contact, Jadugar Trio, Mikuji, Avian Quartet, and much more). This resulted in a constant examination of cultural diversity and change, as well as the interest and development of new sounds and playing techniques in interdisciplinary contexts and the associated socio-cultural experiences.
She completed her jazz violin studies at the music university in her hometown Cologne. During this time she became a member of the band “The Dorf” (Free, Kraut, Noise), in the Ruhr area and of the musicians’ collective and label “Umland”, from which the quartet “hilde” (Free, Acoustic Contemporary Popfolk) emerged, as did many other formations with which they published about the surrounding area. The duo with Falk Grieffenhagen generates their own software algorithms for electronic sound generation with acoustic instruments. In another duet with the Ghanaian percussionist Abass Dodoo in London, they jointly develop compositions and concepts that deal with traditional playing styles, the context of the instrument and the forms of connection between violin and percussion. As a soloist, different programs are created in which balances and possibilities of different sets such as purely acoustic, amplified, with/without live electronics are explored.
She currently lives in Berlin, plays and works with regional and international musicians and artists in various formations: Concert activities and project work have taken her outside of Europe to India, Ghana and the USA.
