Nelson Briceño Peraza (1996) is a Costa Rican drummer, composer, and educator based in Switzerland. Versatile and deeply rooted in his folk traditions, he weaves jazz, Afro-Latin American rhythms, and diasporic influences into a distinctive and expressive voice on the drumset.
He began his musical journey at age seven and went on to earn a Percussion degree with distinction from the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA) in 2021. He later completed a Master’s in Jazz Performance at Jazzcampus Basel (FHNW). In 2025, Nelson was appointed Lecturer in Drumset (Jazz/Pop) and Latin Percussion at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Germany.
As a freelance artist, Nelson has performed across Europe and the Americas, with appearances in Finland, Estonia, Croatia, Serbia, Austria, the United States, Germany, Mexico, France, Switzerland, and Costa Rica. His wide-ranging collaborations include projects such as Molastica, Lele Gorri, on est ensemble, Xàcara Ensemble, Manfred Junker Organ Trio, and YAMAT.