Biography
Tomas Jan Milner is an Italian-British artist, multi-instrumentalist, musical instrument maker and designer.
He has developed his practice through continuous study and ethnomusicological field research, both in and outside of Europe. Focusing especially on traditional music and dance, alongside hands-on experience shared with luthiers and makers of traditional instruments.
Over the years, he has taken part in educational activities, masterclasses, concerts, theatrical performances and interdisciplinary projects, collaborating with musicians and artists from very diverse backgrounds.
The stage
Among others, he has shared the stage with artists such as Ettore Bassi, Mirna Kassis, Tommaso Rolando, Cà Entre Nos, Peppe Frana, Elisa Guarraggi, Fabio Mina, Elias Habib and Lorenzo d’Erasmo. His solo performance is an explosive journey through invented sounds, chimerical instruments and driving rhythms, exploring the relationship between individual and collective identity. He joined the Cucurbita Sapiens Orchestra as a multi-instrumentalist. He founded the Paleo Jazz Trio with Danilo Raimondo and Marco Fossati, an experimental anthropological project featuring musical instruments inspired by the Paleolithic era. He contributes with his percussion to Mirna Kassis’s ensemble, which merges Arabic music and electronic music through the vision of double bassist Tommaso Rolando. He performs with Bailenga, a pan-Italian traditional music group led by Elisa Guarraggi. He has also taken part in various music projects, including the Genoese groups Pasticcio Meticcio and Vito e L’Orchestrina. He also worked on circus-based performances with Cà Entre Nos, providing live music for acrobatic shows together with Matteo Damele. He performs in the theatre production Chi sei tu? La sfida di Gerusalemme, directed by Otello Cenci, in both musical and acting roles. He also takes part as a musician in Liberated Joy, choreographed by Ingrid Silva for the Orsolina28 Art Foundation.
All projectsThe workshop
Alongside his concert work, from an early age he has pursued a deep interest in the study and development of musical instruments, with a particular focus on the timbral and sonic possibilities of percussion. Over the years, he has designed and developed an extensive range of original instruments, drawing inspiration from his travels and from professional exchanges with traditional instrument makers and contemporary instrument designers. He works closely with Danilo Raimondo on the research, development and experimentation of new sonic concepts and instruments, including several percussion models manufactured by internationally renowned brands such as Schlagwerk. Their shared practice explores the intersection of musical performance, instrument making and innovation, combining artistic intuition with hands-on craftsmanship and acoustic research. Together with Raimondo, he founded a duo whose performances exclusively feature instruments conceived and crafted by the two artists themselves, turning the act of instrument making into an integral part of their musical and performative practice. In 2026, he presented a selection of his innovative percussion instruments at MedSoul, a distinguished exhibition dedicated to Mediterranean craftsmanship and artisanal excellence.
Instrument gallery