Eloi Pascual is a Spanish drummer and composer based in Amsterdam. Active as a sideman and bandleader, he has released two albums under his name and collaborated with international musicians such as Ella Zirina, Imanol Emende, Chaerin Im and Martí Mitjavila.
He has explored a wide range of styles since the age of 14, from metal and hard rock to classical music, ultimately focusing on jazz and improvised music over the past decade. This diversity has shaped an open and personal approach, grounded in deep listening and attention to nuance. He graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in 2021 and has been active in the Dutch jazz scene ever since.
Biography
Eloi Pascual (Vigo, 1994) began playing drums at the age of three, performing along to Queen and AC/DC on a toy drum set. At six, he started formal classical training at the conservatory, developing his technical foundation.
As a teenager, after getting his first full drum kit, his focus shifted to the Galician metal scene, where he spent a decade performing, recording, and touring across Spain. His best-known work from this period is the album Dysnomia (2014, Suspiria Records), which he co-wrote and recorded with the death metal band of the same name, earning international critical acclaim.
By the time he completed his classical studies at age 20, he had developed a strong interest in jazz. He began taking drum lessons with Iago Fernández and ensemble lessons with Paco Charlín and Abe Rábade at SPJ (Pontevedra, Spain), an experience that had a profound impact on his musical direction and reshaped his artistic foundation.
Three years later, he was admitted to the jazz department of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, marking the beginning of a new phase in the Netherlands. There, he studied with Martijn Vink, Marcel Serierse, Yoran Vroom, and Lucas van Merwijk, and received masterclasses by many international musicians, such as Aaron Parks, Gerard Clayton, Ben Wendel, Jorge Roeder, Mark Turner, Peter Bernstein, Joey Baron, Peter Erskine and many others.
As soon as Eloi arrived in the Netherlands, he became involved in the Dutch jazz scene. In his very first week in Amsterdam, he met and joined the quintet of American pianist Jake Victor, recording their debut album Twisted Heads just three months later. The album was awarded Best Small Student Ensemble by DownBeat Magazine in 2018.
Following the band’s early success, the quintet toured the United States on two occasions, performing mainly in New York and the Midwest.
During his time in Amsterdam, Eloi has become a sought-after drummer in the Dutch jazz scene, performing live and in studio with numerous established musicians, including recording drums on two albums by Ella Zirina.
In 2023, he began leading his own trio, Amarea, alongside Chaerin Im and Matteo Mazzù. He made his debut as a bandleader with Amarea (ZenneZ/Berthold Records, 2023), followed by Movement in the Distance (ZenneZ Records, 2025), expanding the group into a quartet with guitarist Fabien Vuattoux.
He also performs with Fabien Vuattoux’s “CaptainHum”, Teemu Kekkonen trio, and Imanol Emende trio, appearing on albums of the first two, to be released in 2026 and 2027.
Eloi Pascual 