Thies van Ballegooy
What fascinates you most about music? What fascinates me most of all is that music is a universal language that everyone can understand. I can express and process emotions, which might not work so well without music. I also like the idea that music will accompany me throughout my whole life and yet I will never have ‘learned everything’, as there is always more to explore.
Which musician has influenced you the most personally so far? Chris Potter definitely inspires and motivates me the most. I am constantly fascinated by his boundless creativity and adaptability to different musical situations. Apart from that, I’m also influenced by Branford Marsalis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Melissa Aldana and others.
Which band or soloist have you always wanted to share the stage with? Dave Holland (especially with his quintet), Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Brian Blade and Lionel Loueke.
What is your life like outside of music? When I’m not at university, I enjoy cooking in my shared flat, going for walks along the Rhine, having coffee with friends or watching basketball matches.
Thies van Ballegooy (born 2006) is a saxophonist from Berlin, born in Bonn. Since autumn 2025, he has been studying jazz saxophone with Claudius Valk at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. After taking classical clarinet lessons, Thies discovered the tenor saxophone at the age of 13 and took lessons with Max Hacker. He gained experience on many stages across Berlin (including the Berlin Philharmonie) whilst playing with his school’s big band. He completed the preparatory course for higher education (Stuvo) and became a member of the Berlin Youth Jazz Orchestra (BJJO) in 2024, with whom he performed at venues including the WABE and the Jazzinstitut Berlin (JIB). At the Berliner Jazztreff in 2024, Thies received two awards: the Sponsorship Prize for Soloists and a further first prize together with his quartet. Since 2025, he has been a member of the Bundesjazzorchester (Bujazzo) under the direction of Niels Klein, Theresia Phillip and Jörn Marcussen-Wulf, with whom he tours throughout Germany. During a stay in New York (2025), he took lessons with the Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana and with Troy Roberts. In March 2026, he made his first recordings with his quintet at the studio of the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK). With the Bujazzo, Thies will be performing at further concerts this year in Hamburg (with the NDR Big Band) and Cologne, amongst other venues, and will be on a concert tour in Armenia from September.
EDUCATION
2022 MSA 2024 . A-levels . Advanced subjects: Music, Biology
August 2018 – July 2024 . Beethoven-Gymnasium, Berlin
Aug 2013 – Jun 2018 . Kronach Primary School, Berlin
MUSICAL CAREER
2025 – 2026 . Member of the Federal Jazz Orchestra . Bujazzo
since 2025 . Studying jazz saxophone with Claudius Valk at the Cologne University of Music and Dance
2024 – 2025 . Member of the Berlin Youth Jazz Orchestra
2023 – 2025 . Preparatory course for higher education (SvA) in Berlin
2020 – 2025 . Saxophone lessons with Manfred Wex
2016 – 2022 . Clarinet lessons with Marlene Langner
