Biography
Nicolas Bianco is a drummer and composer who has always enjoyed exploring various styles and techniques with his instrument.
Nicolas Bianco is a drummer and composer who has always enjoyed exploring various styles and techniques with his instrument. He was introduced to Computer Aided Music (CAM) at a very early age and has never ceased to deepen his knowledge in this field and to incorporate it into various projects. He mixes his technical skills and his knowledge of the instrument to create organic and original combinations on the border between acoustic and electronic.
After a first Master's degree in Pedagogy at the HKB in Bern, he continued his studies, this time in composition, and after two years obtained his Master's degree in Composition. With his mentors Peter Gromer, Stefan Schultze and Frank Sikora, he trained in arranging for large jazz and symphonic ensembles and continued to develop his musical language.
A great fan of the 7th and 10th art, he regularly composes soundtracks for short and medium-length films, commercials and video games. He collaborates with Guillaume Darbellay for his capsules "Air Frais" and "Le Générique de ta Vie" as well as on an advertising campaign with Culture Valais. He composed, produced and directed the music for the film "Jiyan", by Otis Birdy, which won him the prize for best soundtrack at the Montreal Independent Film Festival.
He also performs regularly throughout Switzerland with his various bands. He is the drummer of the funk band FRISCHE FISCHE and the jazz collective SWISS JAZZ AMBASSADORS. He plays in Joan Perez Villegas' band BLAU SALVATGE. He plays electronics and effects in Mirjam Hässig's AYE! quartet, nominated in 2021 for the ZKB Jazzpreis of the Jazz Club Moods. In 2021 he collaborated with the conductor and violinist Droujelub Yanakiew, the bassist Matteo Burci and the VARIATON ORCHESTER from Bern, for whom he wrote three pieces for symphony orchestra and rhythm section. In 2021 he founded his jazz trio ORWELL TRIO and is preparing a first album for release in 2022. He plays on Samuel Jersak's album "remembering Kabul", to be released in 2022. Nicolas has been living in Bern for 7 years and divides his time between composing, performing and teaching.
Projects
Here is a list of projects I am currently working on.
Frische Fische
Frische Fische is a funk band based in Bern, composed of former students of the HKB of Bern.
Ayé! Mirjam Hässig
Swiss Jazz Ambassadors
Swiss jazz Ambassadors is a jazz collective based in Bern. It is composed of 5 musicians very active in the Swiss traditional jazz scene.
Frische Fische
Frische Fische is a funk band based in Bern, composed of former students of the HKB of Bern.
Ayé! Mirjam Hässig
Swiss Jazz Ambassadors
Swiss jazz Ambassadors is a jazz collective based in Bern. It is composed of 5 musicians very active in the Swiss traditional jazz scene.
Anach Cuan
Anach Cuan is the standard-bearer of the Swiss Celtic scene par excellence, with more than 300 concerts to his credit over a period of ten years.
Orwell
Orwell is a jazz trio founded by Nicolas Bianco with Tim Heiniger on piano and Sebastian Noya on double bass.
Frische Fische
Frische Fische is a funk band based in Bern, composed of former students of the HKB of Bern.
Ayé! Mirjam Hässig
Swiss Jazz Ambassadors
Swiss jazz Ambassadors is a jazz collective based in Bern. It is composed of 5 musicians very active in the Swiss traditional jazz scene.
Anach Cuan
Anach Cuan is the standard-bearer of the Swiss Celtic scene par excellence, with more than 300 concerts to his credit over a period of ten years.
Orwell
Orwell is a jazz trio founded by Nicolas Bianco with Tim Heiniger on piano and Sebastian Noya on double bass.
Frische Fische
Frische Fische is a funk band based in Bern, composed of former students of the HKB of Bern.
Since their inception in 2016, this band of friends has released two albums. The first "First Catch" was released in 2020, recorded and produced by Nicolas Bianco who joined the band the year before. After a packed house at the Mahogany hall to celebrate the release of this album, the band performed in German and French-speaking Switzerland in various concert halls and festivals. In 2021, they record the album "Sparkling Funk" at the GrooveFactory in Bern with Matthias Urech at the commands. They return to the Mahogany hall in October 2021 to celebrate its release and are now preparing to share this music with their audience in 2022.
Ayé! Mirjam Hässig
It is an eclectic band with a very particular instrumentation. A double bass, a harp, a voice, a ukulele and electronics. They recorded their first album "Coralland" in the winter of 2020 in a sports hall that also served as a writing workshop for the singer. Their sensitive and dynamic music and subtle lyrics inspired by great female authors such as Björk and Joni Mitchell have already made the band stand out at the ZKB Jazzpreis 2021 and won the audience award. The album was released in November 2021 on Hout Records.
Swiss Jazz Ambassadors
Swiss Jazz Ambassadors is a jazz collective based in Bern.
It is composed of 5 musicians very active in the Swiss traditional jazz scene. Mathieu Trovato (piano), Manuel Schwab (saxophones), Matteo Burci (double bass), Slawek Plizga (guitar) and Nicolas Bianco (drums) met during the jam sessions at the Cinquième Etage, organised every Tuesday in the old town of Bern. The chemistry was felt and they decided to make their collaboration official and founded the Swiss Jazz Ambassadors collective. They present a repertoire of standards from the 50s and 60s and aim to preserve and introduce this music to as many people as possible. They are very present on the Bernese scene and have performed many times at the Vierte Wand. During the COVID-19 period, they perform 28 concerts a week via a YouTube stream. They will perform two weeks in a row at the Jazzzelt of the Bern International Jazz Festival in autumn 2021. A first album is to be released in 2022 and international collaborations are in preparation.
Anach Cuan
Anach Cuan is the standard-bearer of the Swiss Celtic scene par excellence, with more than 300 concerts to his credit over a period of ten years.
The eight-piece band masters the genre's canons, between powerful rhythms, folk swerves and pop melodies. Winners of the 1st Trophée des Musiques Populaires de la RSR / TSR at the time, the Valaisans have released four albums and a live DVD, with an energy that has taken them to many prestigious venues in Switzerland, France, Italy and Poland.
Orwell
Orwell is a jazz trio founded by Nicolas Bianco with Tim Heiniger on piano and Sebastian Noya on double bass.
Inspired by the story writer Georges Orwell, Nicolas Bianco's compositions are inspired by dystopian landscapes and the twilight that threatens our species for better or for worse. Sometimes tinged with horror at the inevitable, sometimes with wonder at the astonishing beauty of these possible realities, Nicolas Bianco is deeply rooted in a narrative and immersive music that invites you to travel. The trio's first album will be released in Autumn 2022.
Musique Pour Médias
Here is an overview of some of my compositions for short films and advertising campaigns.
Composition
Here you can hear my film and video game soundtracks as well as other personal creations.
Pensive
by Nicolas Bianco
Lovely Simple Things
by Nicolas Bianco
"Jiyan: la vie"
Original Motion Soundtrack
Pensive
by Nicolas Bianco
Lovely Simple Things
by Nicolas Bianco
"Jiyan: la vie"
Original Motion Soundtrack
Dancing Cube
by Nicolas Bianco
Kapharnaüm
by Nicolas Bianco
Dancing Cube
by Nicolas Bianco
Kapharnaüm
by Nicolas Bianco
Sideman
I am lucky enough to work with some very talented musicians. Here are their latest creations.
Teaching
I offer diatonic and chromatic harmonica lessons at the EJMA Valais as well as private drum lessons, music production and composition in Bern and Sion. Leave me a message via the contact form or by phone and I will call you back to determine the best course structure and study plan for you.
Nicolas Bianco
Image Gallery
