ABOUT

"Hendrik Eichler, who sometimes also takes a bow to hand, is an all-over enormous interesting and effective drummer."
- writteninmusic.com

"The reason why I make music is expressing and experiencing emotions.
There is so much power in music and this inner urge, this energy that I need to express myself. My aim is to let the audience feel the same deep feelings through the drums, which I have, while I am playing it.
Already as a child I was fascinated by the sounds and rhythms I was surrounded, because of the musical background of my family. For me, this exploring is a neverending story, where you still have to be a child.
But the social aspect is even more important to me. Making music together builds up a very strong connection and energy, which is the most fun part in music: Interaction with the other musicians."
- Hendrik Eichler

Hendrik Eichler (born 1993) is a Cologne-based drummer/composer active in the "modern creative" music scene around Germany and the Netherlands. His energetic style is characterized by pulsating soundscapes and expanding the rhythmic/sonic possibilities of the drums with effects. With projects such as the "Doppler Trio" he has already played at major Dutch jazz festivals such as Jazz, Mondriaan Jazz Festival, FJIR Rotterdam and is a regular guest in well-known clubs such as Domicil, Jazzschmiede, Paradox (NL), Brebl (NL), Bimhuis (NL) and more. Another aspect of his artistic work is the interdisciplinary work with dance, visuals, installations, etc., which is reflected in projects such as "Interdimensions" and the improvisation collective "Synergie" at Domicil Dortmund.
Between 2013-2019 he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degree at the renowned conservatory in Arnhem (NL). In addition to his main teachers René Creemers and Etienne Nillesen, he had the opportunity to take individual lessons from well-known musicians such as Jim Black, Jonas Burgwinkel, Christian Lillinger, Bodek Janke and more.

Moreover he is also one of the organizer of the "Jazzorama" series at Artheater, Cologne.

Study years

In 2013, Hendrik started his Jazz/Pop studies at the Artez University of Arts in Arnhem, with René Creemers and Etienne Nillesen as Docents. In this studies, he learned a lot about different musical styles and technique, finding better ways of expressing and projecting his deep love to music through the drumset and compositions. He developed his own style, which reaches from modern Jazz music, influenced by Mid-east Odd meters, to improvised music, inspired by paintings.
In 2016 he also started having lessons with Jeroen van Vliet, where he played with him in a Duo to discover more complex aspects in rhythm and improvised music.

2017 he graduated with Bachelor of Music at the Artez University of Arts and continued with the Master of Music, which he achieved 2019. This Master gave him the possibility to get workshops from Omer Klein Trio, Jonas Burgwinkel, Frans Petter Eldh, Felix Lehrmann, Bill Laurance, Juha, Stephane Galland etc... and to take single private lessons with Jim Black, Jonas Burgwinkel, Stephane Galland, Christian Lillinger, Bodek Janke, Ivo Neame, Barak Schmool, Kit Downes, Amir Bresler, Michael Vatcher, Joost van Schaik, Andre Groen and composition lessons from Dolf de Kinkelder.

Years before studies

Hendrik Eichler, son of the Jazz Piano player Wolfgang Eichler and music teacher Doris Eichler, was born 1993 in Wuppertal, Germany. This family setting musically influenced Hendrik already, because he was educated with a lot of music around him. At the age of 5 he got his first drumkit and started right away learning it autodidactically. Finally in 2006 he got his first drum lesson at the „Bergische Musikschule“ with Jörg Hedtmann and already after 6 Months he was playing in a Junior Big Band in Schwelm and the pop band "perforated".

Because of his fast progress Hendrik got into the scholarschip programm for study preparatory at the „Bergische Musikschule“, which included more Drum lessons, theory class and piano lessons with René Pretschner. He also invested a lot in different Jazzworkshops in Germany, for instance in: Hilden, Burghausen, Solingen, Hagen and Remscheid. 2012 he won the second Price at the competition „Jugend Jazzt NRW“.
In the years before his studies he was involved in projects, like Choir Project „A Jazz Mess“, Musical Project „Die beste Schule Deutschlands“, Big Band „The Real McCoy“ and different rock/pop bands.
He also regularly played with his Father, who guided him early into Jazz music.