Filip Jers
Poet and multi-instrumentalist
Filip Jers plays cello, guitar, piano, saxophone, accordion … – but above all he plays the harmonica. Its very personal and expressive sound captivates him from the very beginning.
Musical beginnings and heroes
Filip Jers was born in southern Sweden in 1989. His parents are very involved in music. His father played the harmonica and – without being a professional musician – became Filip’s first teacher on this instrument. By then he was already playing the cello and guitar. The Beatles were his first musical heroes. And: Toots Thielemans, the great virtuoso and lyricist on the harmonica. Fillip would later meet him in person and learn from him.
At the age of 18, Filip goes to Trossingen in Germany and takes part in the harmonica world championship. He won two titles – in blues and jazz – at the time: “I was totally happy,” he says looking back and laughs, even though the idea of competing within the music world and the still relatively small harmonica community seems somewhat foreign to him. But in Trossingen, Filip meets like-minded people, musicians and people who inspire him.
Studies at the Royal College of Music
Back in Sweden, he became the first harmonica player ever to study music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. There is no professor for his instrument, but here he learns everything about jazz and music in general: composition, theory, ear training, arrangements, improvisation etc. He enjoys it so much, says Filip, that he doesn’t want to stop. But after five years – with his university degree in his pocket – he goes on tour, including with his Filip Jers Quartet, which he founded in 2009. He feels so connected to his fellow players and friends, whom he met at college, that they no longer need to talk to each other to make music together. The music is their conversation, says Filip. He writes his own pieces for the band, they play jazz arrangements but also classics such as “Für Elise” by Ludwig van Beethoven, “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saens or “Hungarian Dances” by Johannes Brahms.
Inspiring people
Filip also travels as a soloist and performs with classical symphony orchestras, choirs, world music ensembles and big bands. He finds this very enriching, broadening his perspective and opening windows to other worlds. He is now also a much sought-after teacher. He receives requests from Denmark, Norway and Italy, among others. Everyone wants to learn from him.
Filip feels happy with everything he does. He wants to continue exactly where he is right now, connect with people, travel and get to know other cultures. He knows how to inspire audiences with his great talent for entertaining, making people laugh and with his incredibly warm and intense harmonica playing that gets deep under your skin.