Gundula Gruen

The fiery fiddle player

"When she plays Gypsy music, her violin starts talking..."
(Ludlow Weekend Leisure)

Gundula is a classically trained violinist whose study and passion encompass Gypsy and klezmer music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. She is a performer of note, as well as a teacher and a musical director. Her performances include heartfelt vocals in the ethnic languages of the pieces such as Romany, Russian or Yiddish.

" … most of all I loved your playing and singing: unaffected and full of life… with your musicality and lifelines you are giving out something so precious and important in this muddled world!"

Originally from Germany, Gundula completed a 4 year course at the Leopold Mozart Konservatorium where she graduated as a classical violinist; she also had voice training and studied conducting, composition and piano. She later obtained a postgraduate degree in jazz at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium. She worked with such teachers as Bernhard Tluck and Jörg Widmoser and undertook masterclasses with Isabella Petrosjan amongst others.

Throughout this time Gundula discovered her passion for Gypsy and Eastern European music. She has spent the last decade exploring and researching the many and varied fiddle styles of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Gundula’s work now fully reflects her devotion to these exciting cultures. She expanded her knowledge working with various Gypsy violin virtuosos such as Caliu (Taraf De Haidouks, Romania), Tcha Limberger (Hungary), Winny Mathias (Germany) and other recognized Balkan musicians. She is now one of the most prominent Balkan violinists in the UK.

"...performance that can make you cry, smile and dance..."

Gundula has 20 years of experience in performing and 17 years of experience in teaching. In the last 10 years she has performed in concerts as well as conducting workshops and other projects to great acclaim. Her live work has taken her throughout the UK and Europe to festivals, art centres and theatres. Recent TV productions include the filming for the documentary ‘How Music Works’ on the UK’s TV Channel 4. She has also been a guest on the BBC radio programme ‘Roma Rokker Radio’ and on Resonance FM.

"Dark and warm melancholy sounds escape her violin as much as sweet and happy notes or angry noises..."

Gundula is the director of the London Gypsy Orchestra, a 35-strong group that she created in early 2005 (www.londongypsyorchestra.co.uk). Moreover she performs regularly with Serbian musicians, most recently with the ZiG duo (www.ZiGduo.com). Within the last 5 years Gundula has led numerous shows and productions involving Gypsy and Balkan music at theatres and festivals, frequently collaborating with Balkan dancer Ljiljana Grkinic. She has also worked with children of various ages on music projects to create awareness of Gypsy culture and society.

Very recently, her book " Gypsy Music Collection, 63 tunes from Eastern Europe and the Balkans" was published by Spartan Press in 3 versions, for fiddle, C and Bb instruments. Apart from the scores it also contains background knowledge about the music and pieces, and an audio CD of all the tunes on the various instruments.

Besides her abilities on the violin and her knowledge in ethnomusicology it is her passion for music and the enthusiasm in her performance that make her shows vibrant and unforgettable.

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