Percussionist by training, performer, composer, and creator of interdisciplinary projects, Julien Mégroz is also an artistic director, programmer, producer, and coordinator. Engaged for many years in the field of music and contemporary theater, he maintains a dense artistic activity in Switzerland and internationally. Based in Biel/Bienne, he divides his time between performance, creation, collaboration, associative work, and networking contemporary artistic practices.
He began studying percussion and drums at the age of 8 and, ten years later, joined Stéphane Borel’s percussion class at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne. In 2008, he received first prize in marimba at the Concours National d’Interprétation Musicale de Riddes (VS). The following year, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts, then continued his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, where he trained under recognized Scandinavian teachers such as Gert Mortensen, Johan Bridger, and Morten Friis from the famous Safri Duo. He completed a Master in Performance : Concert in 2011, with honors from the jury. Wishing to specialize in contemporary music, he subsequently joined the Hochschule für Musik de Bâle, where he obtained a Specialized Master in zeitgenössische Musik in 2013 with Christian Dierstein, Jürg Henneberger, Mike Svoboda, Marcus Weiss, and Matthias Würsch as professors. He also perfected himself in free improvisation with Alfred Zimmerlin and British guitarist Fred Frith, within a Certificate of Advanced Studies framework.
In parallel, he trained in theater: in 2013, he took courses at Cours Florent de Bruxelles and in physical theater at Studio 58 in Berlin. Since then, he has participated in numerous music-theater productions, including Nuit blanche avec Monsieur Croche (2018), La table des matières (2018), L’enfant et le monstre (2019), Ö Rö (2020), Le club du Homard (2023), Tu! (2024), or En général je suis pas loin de moi (2026).
Since the end of his studies, he has been conceiving, initiating, and accompanying projects crossing contemporary writing, performative stage, improvisation, rock, electronics, and participatory forms. He is co-founder of several active ensembles and collectives: the experimental duo HYPER DUO, the collective Remords, the quartet too hot to hoot?, the avant-prog rock group HYPER LA CHAISE, and Compagnie du Bouc, a plurilingual musical theater collective for all audiences. With these formations, he develops experimental, often transdisciplinary projects, designed in close connection with the contexts in which they are situated — whether international festivals, local stages, or off-site formats. He is also percussionist of the Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain (NEC), whose artistic direction he ensured for three years.
He regularly composes music for other instrumentalists as well as for theater, like recently with company FRAKT’ or Extrapol. Since 2013, he has been developing a solo project titled broken besture which uses a device composed of an acoustic drum kit with sensors, real-time electronics, and lights.
His work has been rewarded with several prizes and grants, notably from the Dénéréaz, Nicati-de-Luze, and Knechtli foundations, as well as various Swiss, Vaudois, and Bernese institutions, through competitions, study grants, creation, or advanced training awards. He is also laureate of several national percussion prizes. This career has resulted in several discographic recordings, solo (Natur/Maschine) or with his ensembles (Indigne de nous and l’être on by HYPER DUO, Vortex Cathedra by HYPER LA CHAISE, among others).