Nicolas Thys is a Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 bassist

Bassist

A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...

. He graduated in 1994 from the Hilversum Conservatory

Conservatorium van Amsterdam

The Conservatorium van Amsterdam is a Dutch academy of music located in Amsterdam. This school is the music division of the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, the city's vocational university of arts...

 (in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

), where he also taught bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 and double bass

Double bass

The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...

. Thys took private lessons with Dave Holland

Dave Holland

Dave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years....

, Marc Helias and Marc Johnson. He received several awards, most notably the Golden Django

Golden Django

The Golden Django, named after guitarist Django Reinhardt, is an award for jazz musicians in Europe. The trophy is a creation of the French painter Raymond Moretti. It was first introduced in France , then in Belgium , in Sweden and Italy and finally in Denmark .-Belgian palmares:Since 1995,...

 award for best young talent in 2001. Thys performed live with Toots Thielemans

Toots Thielemans

Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans , known as Toots Thielemans, is a Belgian jazz musician well known for his guitar and harmonica playing as well as his whistling. Thielemans is credited as one of the greatest harmonica players of the 20th century...

, Garrett List

Garrett List

Garrett List is an American trombonist, vocalist and composer.In 1950, he moved with his family to Southern California. At the age of 18, he already was busy teaching, playing and composing music . In 1965 he left California and settled in New York, where he attended the famous Juilliard School of...

, Judy Niemack

Judy Niemack

Judy Niemack is an American jazz vocalist.Niemack sang in a church choir from age seven. She decided on a professional career in singing at age 17, and soon after met Warne Marsh, who encouraged her to explore jazz. She studied jazz at Pasadena City College, and later at the New England...

, Mark Turner

Mark Turner (musician)

Mark Turner is a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist with several recordings to his credit.-Biographical information:Born in Fairborn, Ohio, and raised in Southern California, Turner originally intended to become a commercial artist. In elementary school he played the clarinet, followed by the alto...

, Kris Defoort

Kris Defoort

Kris Defoort is a Belgian avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. He was born in 1959 in Bruges. He also teaches at the Brussels conservatory. His brother is Bart Defoort ....

, Kenny Werner

Kenny Werner

Kenny Werner is an American jazz pianist.-Biography:Kenny Werner is a world-class pianist and composer. His prolific output of compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around the world....

, and Mike Stern

Mike Stern

Mike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...

. He released his first CD with his band Alice's 5 Moons in 1997.

Bands

He recorded with :

• K.D.'s Decade
• Félix Simtaine
• Tomas & Co
• Brussels Jazz Orchestra
  Brussels Jazz Orchestra
  Brussels Jazz Orchestra is a Belgian jazz big band founded in 1993 by saxophonist and composer Frank Vaganée. They recorded their first CD in 1997...
  
  
• Bart Defoort Quartet
• Kris Defoort Quartet
• Octurn
  Octurn
  Octurn is a Belgian polyrhythmic jazz ensemble led by Bo Van Der Werf . Its lineup as well as the composers are changed for every album...
  
  
• Jason Seizer