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Two time Grammy Award-Winning violinist Mads Tolling leads his own trio in a new recording entitled “Speed of Light”. It is available on CD Baby,iTunes and Amazon.

Mads Tolling, internationally renowned violinist, violist, and composer, is a member of the Grammy Award-Winning Turtle Island Quartet. As violist with the quartet, 2003-2007 and now as 1st violinist, 2007-present, he maintains an active touring and recording schedule as well as composing and giving master classes. As a soloist, he regularly tours as jazz violinist with the acclaimed bassist Stanley Clarke and his touring band. In 2006 as part of Turtle Island Quartet Mads won a Grammy for Best Classical Crossover album, “4+Four”. For 2008 Mads is once again nominated for a Grammy with Turtle Island, this time for “A Love Supreme - The Legacy of John Coltrane”. Tolling has received Denmark’s Sankt Annae’s Award for Musical Excellence as well as grants from Queen Margaret, the Sonning Foundation and the Berklee Elvin Jones Award. He has performed with Paquito d’Rivera, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, Stefon Harris, The Assad Brothers and Leo Kottke.

Mads grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark and moved to the U.S. at the age of 20 to pursue jazz studies. He studied under violinist Matt Glaser, and he graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2003. While still attending Berklee, the renowned jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty recommended Mads to join Stanley Clarke’s band. Since then, he has performed more than 100 concerts with Clarke worldwide, including the Newport Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl.

Besides his activities as a performer, Tolling is an accomplished composer. Of his three recordings of original material, one features the well-known pianist JoAnne Brackeen. He has recorded with vibraphonist Dave Samuels and appears on RMB singer Teena Marie’s recording “La Dona”. He has additionally contributed numerous arrangements and compositions to Turtle Island Quartet’s repertoire.

Mads has been a thriving force in the educational aspects of jazz and improvisation. He has been active as a Yamaha clinician and has been involved in workshops, coachings and master classes throughout Canada and the U.S. He was recently invited as a performer and clinician to the 34th International Viola Congress in Montreal, Canada. Mads was also featured on NPR’s Performance Today on Christmas Eve, where he on solo viola performed his version of the carol, “Beautiful Savior”.

In his spare time Tolling enjoys golfing, tennis and hiking. In 1999, together with his father, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.


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Video

Mads Tolling Quartet - In a Mads Mode

Mads Tolling Quartet - Satisfried

Mads Tolling Quartet -Danish Dessert

Mads Tolling Quartet - Star-maker Machinery

Mads Tolling Quartet - Black Dog by Led Zeppelin

Mads Tolling Quartet - Tomorrow’s Memories of Yesterday

Mads Tolling Quartet - Song to John by Stanley Clarke

Mads Tolling Quartet - Danish Dessert, alt. take

Turtle Island Quartet plays “Model Trane” at Yoshi’s Jazz Club in Oakland.

Mads is getting interviewed and talks about choosing pieces for “A Love Supreme – The Legacy of John Coltrane” and how to make it as a young musician in today’s music world.

Mads Tolling soloing over "The Opening" with bassist Stanley Clarke at the Newport Jazz Festival, 2003.

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