Called by Yehudi Menuhin "the exemplary Violinist of the twenty-first century" , the French violinist became known around the world not only for his virtuoso interpretation of the standards of the classical repertory, but also for his sensual, completely relaxed, yet in the same time intense music making which communicates the pure joy of music to everybody listening to him.

Born 1963 from a French family in Algeria, Gilles Apap was raised in Nice where he studied the violin with André Robert, then later at the Conservatoire de Musique de Nice with Gustave Gaglio and at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Lyon with Veda Reynolds.

He then came to America to attend the Curtis Institute, and chose to settle in California where he held for some years the position of the concertmaster of the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra.
At a very early time in his career, Apap escaped from the constraints of the international music business looking for his own way beyond the conventions and expectations connected to a commercial career.

In 1985, Apap gained the affection of Lord Menuhin when he won the Contemporary Music prize at the prestigious International Menuhin Competition. This led to a friendly contact until Lord Menuhin died.
Just  before the death of Apap’s friend and mentor, they worked together on a film upon Mozart’s 3^rd violin concerty inspired by Apap’s meanwhile legendary cadenza of the 3^rd movement. 
The film had then been posthumously completed for ARTE “in memoriam Yehudi Menuhin" and still continues to be regularly broadcasted by European TV stations.

Likewise, ARTE has produced 3 more film documentaries upon Apap, two of which were directed by Bruno Monsaingeaon who stated: "His art represents music in it's greatest possible purity."

Nowadays, Apap is not only appreciated for the high intensity of his play as a soloist which seems to be sustained by a profond inner certainty, but also sought after as a musical leader, due to his specifique conception of orchestra work.

Gilles Apap's engagements include concerts in western and eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Balkans, on both coasts of the United States; Canada, South America, New Zealand, Brazil, India, China, Japan, Russia, Turkey, Israel and Australia.

Aside of most of the philharmonic orchestras of his home country France, he plays as a soloist with well known international orchestras such as the Boston Philh. Orch., the Russian Nat. Philharmonic Orch., the Israel Philh Orch., the Philh. Orch. of the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Philh. Orch. of the Komische Oper Berlin, the Vancouver Symphony Orch., the Dresden, Hamburg, Nürnberg Philharmonics,  just to name a few.

He appeared, among many others, at the Lille Mozart Festival, the festival l’Ile de France, the Settembre Musica Torino/Milano, the Deutsche Mozartfestival, Germany's Rheingau Music Festival, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Int. Ludwigsburger Schloßfestspiele, the Tokio Festival.

With his trio, “Colors of Invention”, built by well known French soloists, Apap is performing spectacular chamber music concerts throughout western and eastern Europe, the U.S., South America, Japan and Russia .

Aside from performing, Apap has taught at the Menuhin Academy Gstaad, the Yehudi Menuhin Forum Bern (Switzerland) and at the Menuhin School, London and holds numerous masterclasses and workshops every year at festivals and academies worldwide.

After having recordeded 3 CDs for Sony Classical, Apap built  in 1999 his own record label Apapaziz Productions.
Since then, he  has released 6 classical albums with solo (“Hope you like violin?), symphonic (Mozart’s 3^rd concerto w. the Sinfonia Varsovia) and chamber music (3 records with “The Colors of Invention” and "Debussy, Ravel Enescu - sonatas f. violin and piano").
In early 2008, he presented his album “friends”, a homage to ‘fiddl’ music, recorded with some of the stars of the international scene of traditional music.
“sans orchestre” his third chamber music album with ‘The Colors of Invention” was presented on the occasion of an amazing concert at the prestigious Kammermusiksaal of the Berliner Philharmonie.
In November 2012, his last recording “Gypsy Tunes - Apap & The Transylvanian Mountain Boys” has been released by Apapaziz Prod.

A new chamber music album with the “Colors of Invention” is going to be prepared as well as a symphonic recording.