About

Damien De Oliveira is a multifaceted drummer, percussionist, producer, educator, and videographer based in Vaughan, Ontario. With a diverse musical palette encompassing jazz fusion, funk, metal, and experimental noise, Damien’s work has been showcased on platforms such as JazzFM91, CBC Radio, and the Bandcamp charts. He has performed extensively across Canada and the United States.

Damien holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts in music from York University. His undergraduate studies concentrated on jazz performance and drumming, while his graduate research focused on musicology, culminating in a major paper that examined drumming techniques in contemporary jazz fusion. With over a decade of teaching experience, he educates students of various ages and skill levels, both privately and at Arcadia School of Music, where he developed a comprehensive drum curriculum.

As a full-time drummer and producer for the Blue Hour Fusion Quartet, Damien collaborates closely with guitarist David Piluso and keyboardist Tristan St-Pierre on innovative original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards. The quartet’s work has been featured on JazzFM91 and CBC Radio, and has achieved notable success on Bandcamp’s jazz fusion charts. They are actively performing throughout the Greater Toronto Area and are set to release their sophomore album by the end of 2026.

Damien’s musical journey is characterized by a commitment to experimentation; he blends influences from metal and world music into his jazz drumming and showcases aggressive, free-form percussion in his avant-garde noisecore projects. His most significant experimental works can be heard through his long-standing noise project, Holy Grinder, which has performed widely throughout Canada and the United States.

In addition to his musical endeavours, Damien is well-versed in multimedia technology, contributing as a videographer, sound designer, and film scorer. His innovative approach to music seamlessly intersects with his interests in multimedia arts.