Nick Grondin
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Imagine a stage lit in warm amber, a single guitar line cutting through the room like a story being told for the first time—intimate, cinematic, and unmistakably modern. That’s the world Nick Grondin creates every time he performs. A celebrated guitarist, award-winning composer, and musical storyteller, Nick has brought his voice to audiences across the U.S. and Europe, from Italy and Germany to the Panama Jazz Festival.
Leading the Nick Grondin Group in Boston and New York, his sound is a tapestry woven from contemporary jazz, rock, and folk—rich in harmony, deep in narrative, and emotionally resonant. Their album A View of Earth features Jon Cowherd, Michel Reis, and Aubrey Johnson, and showcases Nick’s gift for blending intellectual sophistication with raw human feeling. His work extends beyond the stage with innovative live videos and thoughtfully crafted compositions for both small ensembles and full jazz orchestra.
Nick is also a deeply influential educator: an Associate Professor of Ear Training at Berklee College of Music and Resident Artist in Guitar at the University of New Hampshire. His teaching marries musicianship with real-world application—improvisation, songwriting, internalizing repertoire, and building cross-cultural understanding through shared musical experience. With a Doctorate in Jazz Performance from New England Conservatory and mentorship under greats like Dave Holland, Billy Hart, Miguel Zenón, and Donny McCaslin, Nick brings a rare depth to every lesson and performance.
His compositions have earned multiple ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards and DownBeat Student Music Awards, and his Jazz Orchestra debut, SongTeller, premiered at Cambridge’s Regattabar to critical acclaim. Whether performing alongside Cecile McLorin Salvant and Jason Moran or writing expansive works for jazz orchestra, Nick’s artistry is rooted in curiosity, craft, and connection.
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Modern Jazz • Contemporary Composition • Jazz Guitar • Narrative/Storytelling Instrumental
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Jazz Clubs • Listening Rooms • Contemporary Arts Centers • Universities • Modern Improvised Music Series • Festivals Seeking Sophisticated, Cinematic Jazz
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Outside his jazz work, Nick unwinds by cooking, traveling, and picking up any instrument within reach—guitar, bass, piano, mandolin, drums—often while singing rock and folk tunes with his family.
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