Gilles Apap, a French violinist born on May 21, 1963 in Bougie, Algeria, began playing the violin at age seven. He studied at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Nice and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon, completing his training with distinction at 19 years old. Apap continued his education at the Curtis Institute in the United States. In 1985, he won the First Prize for Contemporary Music at the Yehudi Menuhin Competition. He formed the group The Transylvanian Mountain Boys and served as the first violinist of the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra until 2003. Apap's notable works include No Piano On That One (2001), Mozart, Bach and Kreisler with The Sinfonia Varsovia (2003), and Music for Solo Violin (2006). He is known for integrating folk, jazz, blues, and traditional music into his compositions.
