Nicholas Bochner began his music studies on piano at the age of seven, taking up the cello two years later. After exploring different musical styles at school, where he played jazz piano and electric guitar, he completed a Bachelor of Music with Honours at the University of Adelaide, where he studied cello with Janis Laurs. He subsequently spent two years at the Guildhall School of Music in London under the tutelage of Stefan Popov.

In 1995 he returned to Australia to take up the position of Artist in Residence at Queensland University as part of the contemporary music ensemble Perihelion. During this time he forged a strong reputation as an exponent of new music and has had several works commissioned for him.

In 1998 he joined the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as a principal cellist. In addition to his work with the Orchestra he has been in demand as both a chamber musician and teacher. He has been a principal instrumental teacher at the Australian National Academy of Music since 2004.

He has a keen interest in improvisation in teaching and performing contexts, and in 2009 he was awarded the Dame Roma Mitchell Churchill Fellowship to travel to the UK to study the use of improvisation in teaching classical musicians. He is also developing a program of music for solo cello and electronics which will be premiered at the Adelaide Festival in 2012.

He lives in the inner west of Melbourne with his wife and two children.