About

A talent in finding the unbeaten path where tradition meets extremely intellectual, free, complicated and interesting musicianship.

Toms Rudzinskis is one of Baltic’s leading saxophone players and composers, with an innovative and unique sound in his performance and compositions. Leading his own band or performing as a well-respected soloist and sideman, currently resides in Berlin and travels across Europe to perform, collaborate, and educate.

Masters graduate of the prestigious Conservatorium van Amsterdam, numerous jazz and classical music award winner, Toms has won the “Keep an Eye” Jazz award with the quartet “North by Northeast”, Best Soloist at the international big band competition “Meer Jazz”, selected as the Jazz ambassador of the internationally recognised venue Bimhuis. Won the prestigious “Burghausen Jazz competition” Grand Prix with the “Matiss Cudars quartet” in 2012, which led to an opportunity to share the stage with internationally renowned Cassandra Wilson. Won the “Dutch Jazz Competition” Grand Prix with the Loran Witteveen quintet, which led to a tour in 2016 covering the biggest venues in The Netherlands.

In 2014 Toms released his debut album “ABRA” with Toms Rudzinskis Acoustic Quartet to critical acclaim, receiving double Latvian Grammy nominations as The Best Jazz Album and The Best Debut, gaining wider recognition and following in his homeland, speaking on TEDx stage and national press naming him the “most impressive discovery in Latvian jazz in the past years!”. Another “The Best Jazz album” nomination followed with the next album in 2017 – the first vinyl recording “Locomotion!” in independent Latvia, a fully analogue recording with the award-winning Austrian trumpet player Gerhard Ornig, named “one of the most powerful contemporary jazz albums the Latvian jazz scene has to offer” and praised for the album’s harmonic diversity and compositional mastery.

Rudzinskis’ collaborative contemporary big band album with Kenneth/Rudzinskis Space Big Band titled “Space Big Band” was released on Double Moon/Challenge Records International on October 2021 to both Latvian Music Awards and Danish Jazz Music Awards recognition, featured on the Europe Jazz Media Chart and included on Lufthansa Group Airlines and Qatar Airways In-flight Entertainment. Toms is currently working on his and NY-based Latvian singer’s Arta Jekabsone poetry/jazz bigband music CD “Impressions of an Era”.

Called “a talent in finding the unbeaten path where tradition meets extremely intellectual, free, complicated, and interesting musicianship,” Rudzinskis’ compositions and intense yet warm sound opens a musical conversation of powerful rhythms, expressive melodies, and exciting improvisation, truly highlighting his and his fellow musicians’ musical personalities.

In late 2023, Rudzinskis released his long awaited jazz/fusion crowdfunded album “ABYSS” to critical acclaim, supported by a tour in the Baltics, featured on the Europe Jazz Media Chart, and named as Latvian Radio TOP3 solo musician of 2023. On March 8th, ABYSS received the Latvian ‘Grammy’ for Jazz Album of the Year Award and was announced as one of the top 5 best albums of 2023.

Toms is currently preparing  his second album with the Toms Rudzinskis Quartet to be released in mid-2024 with Jersika Records.

Besides travelling and collaborating with jazz musicians across Europe, Toms holds a Jazz Jam Residency at Riga’s jazz hotspot “M/Darbnīca” and curates jazz jam and vocal jazz sessions at Riga’s The Botanist. Toms teaches at the Music Academy of Latvia and Ventspils Musical High School, and online through his Jazz Community & Education project #SHEDNSHARE.