Matt Holborn

“Amongst other young jazz violinists in the UK, Matt stands out with his instantly recognisable sound, a good use of violin techniques and intelligent musicality.” Tim Kliphuis -Internationally renowned jazz violinist and educator. Matt Holborn is a violinist based in Leeds,UK. Matt’s main focus is jazz but he is well versed in many forms of improvised, contemporary and world music. Matt began playing the violin in 1996 with a brief stint of lessons through the schools music service. Matt soon found salvation with Diana Catherine ARCM (Hons), LRAM and began learning classical violin and technique. With all the distractions life has to offer a teenager growing up in this day and age, Matt didn’t take the violin seriously until his late teens when he heard Stéphane Grappelli. From then on Matt has used the violin as a means to improvise jazz and other forms of music. Arriving at Leeds College of Music gave him the time, contacts and knowledge to really put this into practise. Learning from teachers such as Omar Puente, Jesse Bannister, Ken Mitchel, Tori Freestone and all the other amazing jazz educators that LCM has to offer. Matt has also and still does take lessons from Tim Kliphuis, one of the worlds leading gypsy jazz violinists. Matt now plays regularly up and down the country and is a fixed member of many different ensembles including Tantz, The Remi Harris Quartet, The Samois Film Orchestra, Tarantismo and Rhythm Future to name just a few. Matt also deps and guests regularly with Giuliano Modarelli’s ‘Kefaya’, the Kourosh Kanani/Steve Aston Duo, The Djangonaughts, The Vanessa Rani Quintet and many others. Matt also has a passion for the music of India and has studied this discipline with teachers such as Jesse Bannister and Ustad Surjit Singh. Matt has played in hundreds of different capacities, situations and venues all over the world. Some of the most notable include the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family, Hereford Cathedral and even an Olympic swimming pool (Sheffield’s Ponds Forge). In the past Matt has performed and toured in Holland, Germany, France, Hungary, Belgium and the UK. Matt is also a dedicated teacher of the violin, teaching privately from home and holding workshops in and around the North of England.

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