Robijn Tilanus is an improvisation coach, author, composer, and improvisation pianist. She is considered one of the most inspiring and innovative music educators of this time. She started playing the piano at the age of seven. She studied with Jan Wijn, Willem Brons, Ramón Valle, Jet Röling, and Frank Mol, among others. In addition to the State Exam in Classical Piano, she also obtained a Master's degree in Biology.
Robijn Tilanus has given hundreds of courses, masterclasses, lectures, and workshops on improvisation and harmony, in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, England, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Finland, and Iceland.
She is the founder and owner of the Improvisation Academy. There she provides, among other things, the accredited Improvisation Coach Training. With her books and courses she has inspired many thousands of people to start improvising.
Robijn Tilanus gained international recognition with her book on harmony The Fifth Factor -- a practical approach to harmony, through improvising at the piano, listening, playing, singing, composing.
This book was called 'a unique masterpiece' (by Maarten 't Hart in Vrij Nederland), among other praise. It is now in its seventh printing. Some 20,000 copies have been sold. German and English translations have been published.
She also wrote a book on improvisation: FREE YOUR MUSIC -- The Seven Facets of Improvisation, a guide for everyone who wants to learn to play music freely. This book forms the basis of many of her courses.
In 2019 her third book was published: Tonediving -- Effortless music-making from your heart in just 30 seconds a day. This book helps you to always play every note with attention. And as you know: 'Attention makes beautiful'.
The three books together form a trilogy: 'making music through heart -- hands -- head'.
The composition collection Again and again is by Robijn Tilanus. With short, simple compositions for solo piano. With an invitation to improvise.
Robijn seized the opportunity of the corona period to fully devote herself to composing again. In the autumn of 2020, a CD with twelve new compositions was released, performed by herself: the CD Rubato.
Robijn Tilanus regularly performs as an improvisation pianist. She has her own style of piano playing. In it you can recognize influences from classical music and minimal music, with a touch of salsa, pop, jazz, tango, reggae, and African music.
In addition to the piano, she plays viola, violin, alto recorder, djembe, cajon, conga, bongos, and marimba.
