Tobias Klein

Originally from Germany, reed player and composer Tobias Klein has been based in Amsterdam since the early '90s.
His work reflects the cultural diversity of the Dutch capital. The rhythmical and melodic intricacy in his music is coupled with a disarming emotional directness. Contemporary composed structures combine with cyclical techniques inspired by music from South Asia, the Middle East and West Africa.
Klein is artistic director of the Amsterdam-based ensemble Spinifex. He regularly performs with the quartet Dalgoo (with Meinrad Kneer, Lothar Ohlmeier and Christian Marien) in duo with clarinetist Oguz Büyükberber and in trio with pianist Marta Warelis and drummer Frank Rosaly.
Tobias Klein composes for both contemporary jazz groups and chamber music ensembles. A collection of Klein’s chamber music compositions came out on the CD Chambery, released in 2018 on Attacca Records in its Composer’s Portraits series, performed by Fie Schouten and Jelte Althuis, among others. Erik Voermans in the Dutch daily Parool: "Joyous enchantment through sounds ... the work of a playful mind."
In 2015, his piece Too Dark To Read for 10 bass clarinets was performed at the International Clarinet Association's Clarinet Fest at Madrid.
Tobias Klein's work has appeared on more than 40 CDs. Klein has worked with, among others, Chris Speed, Claudio Puntin, B.C. Manjunath, Claron McFadden, Jozef Dumoulin, Benoït Delbecq, John Dikeman, Steffen Schorn, Jeb Bishop, Jasper Stadhouders, Ches Smith and Oguz Büyükberber; and performed at festivals like Moers Festival, AMR (Geneva), Jazz no Parque (Porto), Istanbul Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz (Rotterdam), Belgrade Jazz Fest, Grenoble Jazz Festival, SKIF (St. Petersburg), Ankara Jazz Festival, Vilnius Jazz, Mediawave (Hungary) and tours all over Europe, Turkey, Russia and India.