Julius Gawlik (born 1997 in Halle, Germany) is a Berlin-based saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer, known for his work across jazz, experimental music, and contemporary improvised music. He leads his own projects, such as his quartet and the collaborative trio Dream Big Fish, and continues to contribute to the European scene as a sideman with bands like Jim and the Schrimps, inEvitable, and as a member of the NDR Bigband.

Gawlik has performed at renowned festivals like the North Sea Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, and Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and at prestigious venues such as the Elbphilharmonie, Bimhuis Amsterdam, Berliner Philharmonie and the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. He has collaborated with genre-bending artists including Jim Black, Aynur Doğan, John Hollenbeck, Evi Filippou, George Garzone, Wanja Slavin, Jochen Rückert, Matt Moran, Michaël Attias, the Crush String Collective, and Ensemble Modern.

His accolades include the Temple University Philadelphia Outstanding Soloist Scholarship and the Soloist Prize of the Karl Hofer Gesellschaft Berlin. Gawlik’s debut album, "It's All In Your Head", featuring Jim Black, Evi Filippou, and Phil Donkin, as well as the suite TAUCHEN (written for the NDR Bigband and improvisers), is set for release in 2025.

NEWS:

  • JG Debut Album “It’s all in your head” feat. Jim Black, Evi Filippou and Phil Donkin to be released on UNIT records in fall 2025.

  • “Klarinettensalat” with Jeremy Viner,Victor Fox, Marius Wankel and Zuza Jasinska out on Bandcamp December 2024

  • “Coloring Hockets” by John Hollenbeck and the NDR Bigband out on Flexatonic Records December 2024

  • TAUCHEN feat. Jim Black/Evi Filippou/NDR Bigband played and discussed on NDR Kultur: CLICK HERE

Concerts

Jochen Rückert Trio
29.03.2025

Donau 115
Berlin/DE

NDR Bigband/Ensemble Modern Festival
25-27.04.2025

Rolf Liebermann Studio
Hamburg/DE

Maj Kavsek Quartet
30.05.2025

Jazz Festival Cerkno
Cerkno/Slovenia

Gawlik/Henkelhausen/
Steidle
29.04.2025

Loft
Köln/DE

Gawlik/Henkelhausen/
Steidle
30.04.2025

FatJazz @ Brückenstern
Hamburg/DE

Gawlik/Henkelhausen/Steidle
02.05.2025

Sowieso
Berlin/DE

Dream Big Fish
30.05.2025

Jazzinitiative Frankfurt/DE

Dream Big Fish
04.06.2025

FatJazz @ Brückenstern
Hamburg/DE

Gawlik/Henkelhausen/Steidle
12.06.2025

Donau115
Berlin/DE

Dream Big Fish
05.06.2025

Sowieso
Berlin/DE

Lenny Rehm Quartet 18.06.2025

Schlot
Berlin/DE

Dream Big Fish
09.06.2025

Saxstall
Pohrsdorf/DE

Jakob Astrup Quartet 11.06.2025

Panda
Berlin/DE

Cornelia Nilsson Quartet 1o.07.2025

Kopenhagen Jazz Festival/DK

Gawlik/Stein/Filippou/
Stefanson/Baumgärtner
28.06.2025

Donau115
Berlin/DE

Music

Dream Big Fish

Thorbjørn Stefansson: Bass
Marius Wankel: Drums
JG: Saxophone/Composition

Klarinettensalat

Jeremy Viner: Clarinet
Victor Fox: Bass Clarinet
Marius Wankel: Drums
Zuza Jasińską: Voice
JG: Clarinets/Composition

Jim and the Schrimps

Jim Black: Drums/Composition
Felix Henkelhausen: Bass
Asger Nissen/JG: Saxophones

Dream Big Fish live @ Sowieso Berlin (released on berta.berlin)

Thorbjørn Stefansson: Bass/Composition
Marius Wankel: Drums
JG: Saxophone/Composition

Excerpt from “TAUCHEN” written for the NDR Bigband and Soloists:

Jim Black: Drums
Evi Filippou: Vibes/Percussion
Geir Lysne: Arrangement/Conductor
JG: Clarinet/Saxophone/Composition

Discography

  • Dream Big Fish Gateway Records 2024

  • Coloring Hockets John Hollenbeck and NDR Bigband, Flexatone Records 2024

  • Klarinettensalat Bandcamp 2024

  • Jonas Esser Last Album Bandcamp 2024

  • Ain’t No Saint Jim and the Schrimps, Intakt Records 2023

  • Felix Ambach Trio Live stssts Records 2023

  • inEvitable Boomslang Records 2023

  • Lily of the Nile Liun and the Science Fiction Orchestra, Heartcore Records 2023

  • Fatamorgana Rasmus Holm Quartet Gateway Records 2023

  • Subconsious Songs Rasmus Holm Quartet feat. Crush String Quartet Gateway Records 2024

  • Face to Face NDR Bigband and Nikki Iles, Edition Records 2024

  • Venture Amund Kleppan Quintet, AMP Records 2021