Yannick Hiwat, began playing the violin at the age of six with Hilde Imandt-Sauter, he completed all three grades of music school Cum Laude In 2003 he was admitted to the Young Talent Class of the Rotterdam Conservatory ‘codarts‘ studying classical violin as a student of Thijs Kramer (ex-Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra).
He studied at the performing arts high school of Music and Dance and in 2007 graduated Cum Laude. He continued his studies with Thijs Kramer at the Fontys Conservatory of Tilburg. In 2009/2010 he interrupted his studies at the request of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra in Durban, South Africa to work with them full-time for over a year. In 2010 he was granted a scholarship by the KZNPO allowing him to continue his work with the orchestra part-time in 2010/2011 combining it with his violin-studies in The Netherlands. After his classical studies Yannick finalized his studies of jazz violin in the class of jazz violin Virtuoso Tim Kliphuis.