Thijs Dercksen studied piano with Herman Uhlhorn at the Utrecht Conservatory and composition with several teachers at the Rotterdam Conservatory. He works as a composer, teacher and pianist. He wrote chamber music, vocal works and was twice commissioned by the Limburg Symphony Orchestra (now called the Philharmonie Zuid Nederland). He performs his own pieces weekly as an opening for the conservatory evening in ‘Het Muzieklokaal’ in Utrecht.
A special place in the oeuvre of Thijs Dercksen is taken by his music for piano solo. He developed a new way of playing the piano based on the symmetrical construction of the hands and the equality of left and right. To transfer this way of playing into really good sounding music, he made extensive study of the Franco-Flemish counterpoint and Afro-Cuban rhythm.