Dr. Nikolas Bauchat is a passionate performer, music theorist, and educator. In 2005 he received a four-year scholarship to study piano at Florida State University. At the university, Dr. Bauchat had the opportunity to collaborate with many musicians and participate in several competitions and master classes. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in performance, Dr. Bauchat earned his master’s in piano performance from the University of Georgia in 2011. While at UGA, he was awarded a scholarship to accompany the university’s Wind Ensemble. With the band, Dr. Bauchat participated in a musical tour around Georgia and a recording project for Naxos, a premier classical music label. In addition to collaborating with other musicians and engaging in competitions, Dr. Bauchat taught private piano lessons at the university’s Community Music School.

Ever since he first began studying music, Dr. Bauchat had an interest, not only in performing music, but also in understanding it intellectually. If music is a type of language, what are its rules, what are its conventions? In other words, how does music “work.” In pursuit of this deeper understanding, Dr. Bauchat went on to study music theory at Indiana university. At IU Dr. Bauchat received both a master’s and a PhD in music theory, which he recently earned in December of 2019. While attending IU, Dr. Bauchat had the opportunity to teach a majority of the undergraduate music theory courses. He led his own one-year course for honor’s students and taught sight-singing, ear training, and keyboard skills to both undergraduate and graduate students. While working on his theory degrees, Dr. Bauchat additionally received funding to present papers at a graduate student symposium at IU and a regional conference at Kennesaw State University.

Initially self-taught, Dr. Bauchat strives to create an enjoyable learning environment where students can self-discover and cultivate independent thinking skills. In addition to fostering technical ability and listening skills, he promotes the development of musical understanding: knowledge of the common structures and patterns that underlie music. Recognizing the individuality of each learner, Dr. Bauchat also adopts a flexible approach, tailoring the lessons to meet the needs, goals, and learning style of each student.