Morris Kliphuis
French horn / Composition
Berlin-based, Dutch composer/hornist Morris Kliphuis is a singular talent, whose work is as impressive as it is difficult to pigeonhole. A virtuoso on the French horn, he is one of the few players in the world dedicated to exploring its potential in improvised settings.
Kliphuis first rose to prominence as founder member of the award-winning trio Kapok, which mixed elements of punk, rock and free improvisation. Now, as a composer and solo artist, Kliphuis is pushing this aesthetic even further. Using electronics, effects pedals and extended instrumental techniques, Kliphuis sketches misty soundscapes of soft, spacious tones, seeded with dark, expressive flourishes.
With iconoclastic pianist/electronic musician Joanna Duda, he started Wake The Dead in 2020, combining delicate electronics with baroque instruments to create a musical world full of hypnotic, soft textures, electronic glitches and wavy ostinatos. “I am convinced that the boundaries of style and genre will continue to shift and dissolve,” he says, “and that this creates fascinating opportunities waiting to be explored.”
- I am looking for partners to present my project Wake The Dead and connect us with local Baroque musicians and ensembles. I am also looking for opportunities to present my solo set on the French Horn, especially labels who are working in the direction of solo improvised music.