Gijs Music is the company of Gijs van Winkelhof. Gijs is a composer, producer, and pianist. He has composed music for film, theatre, and various artists. As a pianist, he has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Suntory Hall, and at Disneyland Paris.
Biography
At the age of three, Gijs taught himself to play the piano, and by the age of ten, he was already composing and producing music. He graduated with honors from the Utrecht University of the Arts, where he majored in Composition for the Media, focusing on writing music for film and theatre. During his studies, he completed an internship in the music department of the Dutch television series Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden. After graduating, Gijs founded his own company for composing and producing music. He also regularly performs as a pianist.
Composer & producer
Gijs has composed and arranged a wide range of music. For example, he wrote the song “Jij maakt het verschil” (“You Make the Difference”), performed by Dutch singer, comedian, and television host Paul de Leeuw. He has composed music for several theatre productions, including Michiko (2013), Alice in Anderland (2015), and Novembernacht (2018). He has also produced music for television programs such as Holland’s Got Talent and Telekids.
Pianist
As a pianist, Gijs has performed in numerous theatres, concert halls, and castles. He has collaborated with artists such as Emma Heesters, Joke de Kruijf, Laura Vlasblom, and Pia Douwes. He performed at the Belgian electronic dance music festival Tomorrowland in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2024.
In 2010, 2011, and 2018, Gijs was invited by Japanese soprano Yoko Maria Tsukuda to perform at Suntory Hall and Yamaha Hall in Tokyo. In May 2018, he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, where many of his own compositions were featured.
Since November 2018, Gijs has regularly performed as a pianist at the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris. In October 2023, he appeared on the Dutch television show Hotel Hollandia, hosted by Paul de Leeuw, to celebrate 100 years of Disney and perform several piano pieces.
Since 2024, he has been giving solo Disney concerts at Cultureel Trefpunt Voorne aan Zee. In 2025, he performed at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht during the theatre show of D-Tales.
Live streamer
In May 2015, Gijs began performing piano requests on the live-streaming platform Periscope. As a pianist who plays by ear, he is able to take live requests from viewers in real time.
In February 2017, he was invited to speak at Summit Live, a live-streaming conference held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
In September 2020, Gijs launched his weekly piano request show, Gijs Piano LIVE, on his YouTube channel. . The show airs every Sunday at 3 PM EST (8 PM London time / 9 PM Paris time).
If you are interested in booking Gijs van Winkelhof, visit www.thedutchpianist.com.
