Aurel Violas was born in Fontainebleau, France, and grew up in Launoy, a small hamlet located in the rural south-east of Ile-de-France. This is where he began practicing drums and learning solfege, taking lessons at the local music school, in the nearby village. When he was 18, he moved to Paris and studied at the American School of Modern Music (nowadays IMEP) with teachers such as Manuel Rocheman and Rick Margitza. He also obtained the superior diploma of Emmanuel Boursault’s drum school, with a first prize.

Later on, eager to discover different musical environments, he moved to Brussels where he studied one year at the Royal Dutch Conservatory (KCB). There, he extended his network as well as his rhythmical knowledge by following lessons with drummer Stéphane Galland (AKA Moon), while taking part in the local scene.

Continuing his musical discovery of Europe, Aurel Violas then went on to study at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He got his Bachelor’s degree in 2019 and graduated from the Master’s program in 2021, having studied with Martijn Vink, Yoràn Vroom, Harmen Fraanje, Joris Roelofs and Reinier Baas. In 2017, he participated in the exchange program between the conservatory and Boyer College of Music (part of Temple University), in Philadelphia, USA. There, he studied with Dick Oats and Rodney Green, and travelled numerous times to New York and Boston to discover the scene of both cities and participate in sessions with local musicians.

Since 2018, Aurel Violas has been leading his own trio, with a repertoire of own compositions and arrangements, and regularly performs in France and The Netherlands. Together with trumpet player Antonio Moreno Glazkov, he is also the co-leader of Amsterdam-based sextet Chai Masters. Finalist of numerous European competitions (Leiden Jazz Competition, 7 Virtual Jazz Club Contest, Golden Jazz Trophy in Lille, France, Keep An Eye The Records in
Amsterdam), the band released its first album Magic Realism under Challenge Records in June 2022.