Nicolas Alvarez

Nicolas Alvarez is a percussionist originally from Greer, South Carolina. He earned his BM in Percussion Performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and his MM in Percussion Performance at the University of Georgia. Nico is currently working on his DMA in Percussion Performance at the University of Georgia studying with Timothy Adams and Kimberly Toscano Adams.

During his time at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music studying with Michael Rosen and Jamey Haddad, Nico realized he had a passion for Afro-Latin Percussion and for teaching. During one of his summers, he took an opportunity to study Afro-Latin Percussion in Costa Rica, which inspired him to go to Indiana University Bloomington to learn more from Dr. Joseph Galvin. Nico now teaches an Afro-Latin American drumming class at the University of Georgia through his teaching assistantship. 

Nico has experience teaching marching percussion, as he has worked with several high school marching bands and held the Marching Band Percussion Instructor position at North Greenville University for three years, where he arranged and taught percussion music. 

Nico is a section percussion member at the Brevard Philharmonic. He has also been known to gig around the Greenville area of South Carolina. 

Outside of Music, Nico’s favorite hobby is to play soccer, as he has spent his entire life playing the sport. He also enjoys backpacking through the Appalachian Trail, weight lifting, and spending time with his wife, dogs, and friends.