Who’s That guy at the piano?

Nick Perez is a music director, arranger, and orchestrator based in New York City.

From a young age he knew that he wanted to be a professional musician: he took his first piano lesson when he was five, his first paid gig at fourteen, and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Saint Mary’s College of California when he was twenty one. He prides himself on being a versatile musician who can adapt to any genre.

In the Bay Area, Nick served as music director for numerous productions including Dancing in the Street (Transcendence Theater Company), In the Heights (Center Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Playhouse), Sister Act and Grease (Broadway by the Bay), and West Side Story (Pacific Coast Repertory Theater). He was one of several music directors on The Speakeasy, a multi-year immersive theater experience in San Francisco.

During his tenure as Music Supervisor and Principal Accompanist with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (2021-2023) he had the honor of collaborating with Andrew Lippa and Stephen Schwartz on an exciting new choral piece, Songs of the Phoenix. Along with SFGMC, Nick has performed with the Grammy Award winning San Francisco Symphony and recorded an album at Skywalker Sound with Leslie Ann Jones.

After moving to New York City in October 2023, Nick quickly immersed himself in the vibrant music scene. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in June 2024 playing the music of Christopher Tin, accompanied comedian Martin Short for a one-man show in Sag Harbor, and in 2025 was the music assistant for Broadway’s Buena Vista Social Club. He is currently a substitute conductor for the 5x Tony winning show.

When he is not at Buena Vista Nick is the music director for Franc D’Ambrosio, with an active touring schedule in Europe and the United States. Together, Nick and Franc wrote a new cabaret show which will be debuted in Fall 2025.

Nick is a regular sub pianist at NYC piano bar institutions such as The Duplex, Marie’s Crisis, and Brandy’s.

His arrangements and orchestrations have been performed by the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention (Lincoln Center), the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, and can be heard on the Netflix documentary Barry and Joan.