Nils Weinhold grew up in Bad Sachsa, a small village in the Harz mountains of Germany and started playing the guitar at the age of nine. In Germany he took lessons with Andreas Jäger and German jazz guitar legend Prof. Michael Sagmeister, before attending the Conservatory of Amsterdam in 2004, where he studied Jazz Guitar with Maarten van der Grinten, Martijn van Iterson and Jesse van Ruller. In addition to his jazz studies he studied Classical guitar, under the instruction of Lydia Kennedy. After graduating in 2008 he moved to New York City to undertake the graduate program at Manhattan School of Music and studied with Chris Rosenberg, Phil Markowitz, David Liebman, Garry Dial and Justin DiCioccio. He received his Masters degree in May 2010.
In 2004 he was awarded with a scholarship from Berklee College of Music in Boston and in 2008 he received a full scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for his studies at Manhattan School of Music. From 2005 to 2007 he was a member of the renown German National Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzO) lead by Peter Herbolzheimer. He performed with many highly established big-bands in Europe, Canada and the United States. As a sideman, he performed with some of today's top musicians such as Seamus Blake, Justin Brown, Francisco Mela, Joe Lovano, Joey Calderazzo, Luques Curtis, Lars Dietrich, John Escreet, Linda Oh, Martijn Vink, Clemens van der Veen, Fabian Almazan, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Hampson, Ferenc Nemeth, Jane Monheit, John Riley and many more.
Since moving to New York, Nils played extensively in the United States, Canada and Europe, performing regularly in venues such as The Jazz Gallery (NY), The Blue Note (NY), Symphony Space (NY), The Bar Next Door (NY), Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (NY), Carnegie Hall (NY), The Chicago Jazz Showcase (Chicago), The Rex (Toronto), The Bimhuis (Amsterdam) and The Birdland (Hamburg).
Nils is regularly performing and recording with New York based saxophonist Adam Larson. As a member of Adam Larson's group he went on tour in the Midwest in 2010 and 2011. He will be on tour again with the Adam Larson Quintet in May 2012. In addition to his engagements with Adam Larson, Nils is the guitarist of the Danjam Orchestra and The Manhattan Experiment. He is regularly performing in numerous formations in New York City, Canada and Europe. In 2010 Nils recorded a number of CD's as a sideman, including the album “Sudden Appearance" with the Danjam Orchestra, produced by Jim McNeely, featuring three time Grammy award winning drummer John Riley. He recorded the album “Vantage Point" with The Manhattan Experiment and “River Styx" with the Bastian Weinhold Group, featuring Bastian Weinhold, Adam Larson, Pascal Le Boeuf and Linda Oh.
In 2011 he recorded the guitar part of Fabian Almazan's film score for the film “The Recorder Exam," the mini album “New York Sessions" with German pop/rock singer Till Bennewitz and his first CD as a bandleader. In October 2011 Nils released “Shapes," his debut album as a bandleader, featuring Adam Larson, Fabian Almazan, Luques Curtis and Bastian Weinhold. The album is featured in the February 2012 issue of the German Jazz magazine Jazz Podium and in the February/March 2012 issue of Jazz Thing. In 2012 Nils started to focus on his career as bandleader and he is increasingly playing concerts under his own name at established New York jazz venues such as The Kitano and The Bar Next Door. He is currently booking a CD release tour for November/December 2012 in Europe. Besides his career as a performer, Nils is a guitar teacher at The School at Columbia University in New York City, Eastern School of Music on Long Island and Zen Music Institute in New Jersey. Nils is regularly giving clinics and workshops at high schools and music schools in the US, Canada and Europe.
In 2004 he was awarded with a scholarship from Berklee College of Music in Boston and in 2008 he received a full scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for his studies at Manhattan School of Music. From 2005 to 2007 he was a member of the renown German National Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzO) lead by Peter Herbolzheimer. He performed with many highly established big-bands in Europe, Canada and the United States. As a sideman, he performed with some of today's top musicians such as Seamus Blake, Justin Brown, Francisco Mela, Joe Lovano, Joey Calderazzo, Luques Curtis, Lars Dietrich, John Escreet, Linda Oh, Martijn Vink, Clemens van der Veen, Fabian Almazan, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Hampson, Ferenc Nemeth, Jane Monheit, John Riley and many more.
Since moving to New York, Nils played extensively in the United States, Canada and Europe, performing regularly in venues such as The Jazz Gallery (NY), The Blue Note (NY), Symphony Space (NY), The Bar Next Door (NY), Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (NY), Carnegie Hall (NY), The Chicago Jazz Showcase (Chicago), The Rex (Toronto), The Bimhuis (Amsterdam) and The Birdland (Hamburg).
Nils is regularly performing and recording with New York based saxophonist Adam Larson. As a member of Adam Larson's group he went on tour in the Midwest in 2010 and 2011. He will be on tour again with the Adam Larson Quintet in May 2012. In addition to his engagements with Adam Larson, Nils is the guitarist of the Danjam Orchestra and The Manhattan Experiment. He is regularly performing in numerous formations in New York City, Canada and Europe. In 2010 Nils recorded a number of CD's as a sideman, including the album “Sudden Appearance" with the Danjam Orchestra, produced by Jim McNeely, featuring three time Grammy award winning drummer John Riley. He recorded the album “Vantage Point" with The Manhattan Experiment and “River Styx" with the Bastian Weinhold Group, featuring Bastian Weinhold, Adam Larson, Pascal Le Boeuf and Linda Oh.
In 2011 he recorded the guitar part of Fabian Almazan's film score for the film “The Recorder Exam," the mini album “New York Sessions" with German pop/rock singer Till Bennewitz and his first CD as a bandleader. In October 2011 Nils released “Shapes," his debut album as a bandleader, featuring Adam Larson, Fabian Almazan, Luques Curtis and Bastian Weinhold. The album is featured in the February 2012 issue of the German Jazz magazine Jazz Podium and in the February/March 2012 issue of Jazz Thing. In 2012 Nils started to focus on his career as bandleader and he is increasingly playing concerts under his own name at established New York jazz venues such as The Kitano and The Bar Next Door. He is currently booking a CD release tour for November/December 2012 in Europe. Besides his career as a performer, Nils is a guitar teacher at The School at Columbia University in New York City, Eastern School of Music on Long Island and Zen Music Institute in New Jersey. Nils is regularly giving clinics and workshops at high schools and music schools in the US, Canada and Europe.
