At age 5, Juan Miguel “Nikko” Rivera already manifested a keen interest in music, quickly taking to the family piano at every opportunity. His parents obliged by placing him under the tutelage of Ms. Edith Cao-Agosto of the St. Scholastica’s College School of Music. In 1998 and 1999, 2 years in succession, he topped the Male Solo Piano competition of the Accelerated Christian Education National Students’ Convention.
At 13, Nikko started playing for church and it was here where he learned to play in ensemble. It was at church too where he was first exposed to synthesizers. In the years that followed, Nikko acquired a fondness for jazz music. Inspired by the music of Chick Corea, The Yellowjackets, and Michel Camilo, he applied himself at mastering the genre.
At 15, when others were still in junior and senior high school, Nikko entered the College of Music of the University of the Philippines as a piano major. Gifted well beyond his peers, Nikko studied classical piano under the tutorship of prominent Philippine concert pianist Professor Nita Abrogar-Quinto. Simultaneously, he studied jazz improvisation under famed jazz pianist and composer-arranger Professor Jun Cadiz. He also joined the U.P. Jazz Ensemble under Rayben Maigue. Through college, he won various awards and honors, topping the piano category of the 2001 National Music Competition for young Artists and placing 2nd in Category A of the 2003 Rachmaninoff Piano Competition. In his sophomore year, the University granted him his first full scholarship. In 2004, Nikko received his Diploma in Creative and Performing Music Arts from the UP College of Music. A year later, he received his Baccalaureate in Music, Major in Piano and Minor in Flute.
Having graduated from music school, he entered the professional fray playing keyboards for bands of varied musical genres. Nikko also began acquiring his own instruments. For this purpose, he has long favored KORG synthesizers, beginning with an X5D and an N5, which he both used at church service. Over time, he acquired a Triton Rack, an X50, an M3-73 with a Radias module expansion, and an SV1-88. His current gigging arsenal includes a Kronos2 and a Kross 61.
From 2004 through 2006, Nikko played at every major jazz festival. Word of the young gun who could sight-read and had the chops to match reached pro musicians and prominent musical arrangers. The local music industry began to take notice of the young prodigy. In no time, Nikko had cracked the elite session scene, playing first call for the most esteemed musical directors in the country. He has performed alongside the best session players in the industry, with many of whom he now travels in concerts across the United States, Europe, and Asia.