Nicky Cardillo

Nicky Cardillo has performed in prestigeous concert halls and hole in the wall bars throughout the Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey area. His initial interest in music started at a young age when he found himself obsessed with jazz and classical styles. When the oppurtunity arose, he jumped at the chance to play the cello at age 8. His first choice was the double bass, but it was too large to fit in his mother’s car and cello was the compromise. He started playing in his school and local orchestras, all the while being drawn to the bass. He made the switch at 13 when his high school orchestra teacher, mentor and good friend decided to give him a chance. Mr. Roy Hough would meet Nicky and a few other guys at 5 am, before they had to head to school. This was pivitol in his musical education as it was the first time he played jazz and improvised music. And it was also his chance to play electric bass. Roy Hough had a 1978 Fender Jazz bass that he let Nicky play in the mornings, and it wasn’t long before he gravitated to upright. After high school, Nicky went to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he graduated with a degree in Jazz Studies.As he was furthering his studies, Nicky gigged non-stop on whatever gig he could get. His favorite were the one off jazz gigs, but he has been involved with countless theatre pit gigs, country gigs, pop, funk/fusion, tango and world styles. Right now, he is focusing on playing electric and still trying to find his voice.