A trained percussionist and drummer, performer, improviser, and occasional composer, Julien Mégroz is a Swiss musician deeply committed to contemporary, experimental, and current music. Born in 1986 in Morges (VD), he is now based in Biel/Bienne.
He began playing percussion and drums at the age of eight, and ten years later joined the percussion class of Stéphane Borel at the Haute École de Musique in Lausanne. In 2008, he won first prize in marimba at the Concours National d’Interprétation Musicale in Riddes (VS). He earned his Bachelor of Arts in 2009, then studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with renowned Scandinavian teachers such as Gert Mortensen, Johan Bridger, and Morten Friis of the famous Safri Duo. In 2011, he completed his Master in Performance: Concert with honours. He then specialised in contemporary music at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel, earning a Specialized Master in zeitgenössische Musik in 2013, and worked with Christian Dierstein, Jürg Henneberger, Mike Svoboda, Marcus Weiss, and Matthias Würsch. He also studied free improvisation with Alfred Zimmerlin and acclaimed British guitarist Fred Frith, completing a Certificate of Advanced Studies, also in Basel.
Julien performs regularly in Switzerland, across Europe, and internationally, both as a soloist (mainly with his solo project Broken Gesture for extended drum set) and with various ensembles. Since finishing his studies, he has conceived, initiated, and performed in artistic projects blending contemporary composition, performance art, improvisation, rock, electronics, and participatory forms. He co-founded several active ensembles and collectives: the experimental duo HYPER DUO, the quartet too hot to hoot?, the hybrid rock band HYPER LA CHAISE, and the Compagnie du Bouc, a multilingual music theatre collective for audiences of all ages. With these groups, he develops experimental, often transdisciplinary projects closely connected to their specific contexts — whether international festivals, local stages, or unconventional venues.
In parallel, he has also trained in theatre: in 2013, he studied at the Cours Florent in Brussels and physical theatre at Studio 58 in Berlin. Since then, he has taken part in numerous music-theatre 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), and Tu! (2024).
His work has received multiple awards and support from the Dénéréaz, Nicati-de-Luze, and Knechtli foundations, as well as from various Swiss, Vaud, and Bernese institutions, through competitions and grants for study, creation, or professional development. He is also a prizewinner in several national percussion competitions. His artistic output has been documented on several recordings, both solo (Natur/Maschine) and with his ensembles (Indigne de nous by HYPER DUO, Vortex Cathedra by HYPER LA CHAISE, among others).