Check Out Nicolas Gachot’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicolas Gachot.

Hi Nicolas, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in a musical household and was exposed from an early age to a wide range of musical styles through my parents, including classical music, jazz, Brazilian music, pop, and rock. My father and I played piano together from a very young age, and I began taking piano lessons at the age of six, focusing primarily on classical repertoire. At nine, I started classical percussion lessons and went on to perform as a percussionist and timpanist in various symphony and chamber orchestras.

Inspired by masters such as Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson, my passion for jazz gradually became central to my musical identity. I began focusing more on jazz drum set performance, playing in big bands and jazz combos. In 2023, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Drums Performance from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, where I studied with Gerry Hemingway, Norbert Pfammatter, Marc Halbheer, Dominik Burkhalter, Jean-Paul Brodbeck, Kristin Berardi, Nathanael Su, and Nils Wogram.

I continued my studies at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Los Angeles, where I completed my Master of Fine Arts in Jazz Drums in 2025. The CalArts jazz program—founded by bassist Charlie Haden and pianist David Roitstein—allowed me to be mentored by internationally acclaimed musicians such as Jonathan Pinson, Steve Lehman, Darek Oleszkiewicz, Vardan Ovsepian, Edwin Livingston, Vinny Golia, and Cathlene Pineda.

I feel fortunate to have grown up in such a supportive and musically rich environment. I am currently focused on building my own band with the goal of performing original compositions, while also actively engaging in other artists’ projects and remaining open and curious toward new musical collaborations.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have definitely been challenges and struggles along the way, like we all go through and always will — that’s just life, I believe.

There was a period when I actively chose to focus more on jazz drum set and to get myself more involved in that tradition and its history, rather than classical music, which is what I was mainly doing at the time while playing in different orchestras. At some point, I realized that I personally was more fascinated by — and drawn toward — learning what this jazz thing really was than continuing with classical percussion. Not that I don’t like classical music — I very much do — but it was simply a personal choice.

That decision was not easy, because I had such a long and strong background in classical music, but deep inside I knew it was truly what I wanted. I already knew back then that it was inevitable for me to move to the US at some point, because of the history of jazz and my desire to be closer to where this music has its roots, especially the drum set as we know it today. Searching for a teacher and a school where I would feel comfortable in the US has also been a challenge and a long process. I’m very grateful to have found those teachers and the school that were perfect for me, where I could truly spend time continuing my journey as a student of music and the drum set — which is what I will always strive to be.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m mainly a drummer and composer, versatile in different styles ranging from jazz, funk, and R&B to Brazilian music. I’m a curious and open-minded musician, always interested in learning more about music, its history, and its different traditions. I’m not someone who plays only one style — actually, I’m quite the opposite. I believe we can all learn from and be inspired by many different styles of music.

I’m constantly working on putting more focus on composing. Especially as drummers, I believe spending more time with harmony and melody enriches our playing. Besides being an active sideman, I also have a strong desire to lead my own band and explore original compositions.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
It’s difficult for me to predict exactly how the next 5–10 years will look, but I believe AI is going to have a major impact on the music industry, and we will need to decide how we want to navigate that change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nicolasgachot.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolas.gachot/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicolasgachot

Image Credits
Roméo de Lacour
Rob Moreno