CV musician

Winfried was born into a city-Groningen family, where all children received young General Musical Formation. It started at the age of 5 with Dalcrose Rhythm, followed by the recorder and the violin when he was 7. Through the family singalongs, church choirs and student orchestras it became clear that music brought him pleasure endlessly. The violin was occasionally swapped for the guitar, one could also sing while playing!

During his study biologal science he became a musician/actor with the Theatre Group Southern Africa (TZA) later moving into Toneelgroep Barstens and in the choir De Rode Steen. The latter group took over TZA’s beautiful a-capella South African songs, complemented by a wide repertoire of (gay) solidarity songs.

The biology study was completed with an certificate Plant and Zoology – Winfried actually taught biology for two years – but the music would win it eventually. He did a year conservatoire, started there with the accordion and finished a music degree in 1983 at the thoroug Gehrels music education in Zwolle. With Johnny Cassata busking started, with Winfried singing and the puppet Johnny on the piano.

At the end of 1987 Winfried joined the youth music group Timbila, a group that becaome inernationally well-known with its own compositions, played on the large self-built marimba (Timbila’s table) and baskalimba (thumb piano). He also played with the 4Tuoze Matroze for a time and played the violin in Mariachi orchestras. Experience as a choir director came in handy with the gem men’s choir Manoeuvre, which was co-founded under his leadership and grew into an enthusiastic choir of 50 men in four years.

After almost 10 years and more than 1000 performances, he quit Timbila, mainly to pay more attention to the accordion and vocals, the latter preferably in Groningen.

Winfried’s contemporary musicianship consists of the duos Un Duo Particolare and Duo Mokumer Molleboon and the Trio Trabant. He is also an accordionist, accordion teacher and has a solo program with chansons in the dialect of Groningen.

Since 2010, Winfried has been the regular accordionist on Nedles’ singalong evenings with Dutch songs for expats.