Natalie Nicolas — Composer, Performer, Educator

Natalie Nicolas

Sydney

Certifications: M. Mus (Comp) (USyd) B.Mus (Comp) Hon (USyd) AMEB Pianoforte/Musicology Certified Sydney-based performer, composer and music educator, Natalie is currently embarking upon her Master in Music (Composition) degree under scholarship at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the guidance of key mentors Michael Smetanin, Matthew Hindson, Anne Boyd and Moya Henderson, and has been selected to participate in the National Women Composer's Development Program (NWCDP). Between 2016-2018, she writes for renowned percussionist Claire Edwardes— director of Ensemble Offspring, the Goldner String Quartet, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, the Muses Trio, flautist Virginia Taylor of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, harpist Alice Giles of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, cellist Georg Pedersen, principle violist of the TSO - Stefanie Farrands, and many other wonderful musicians. She has also had a piece premiered in Hong Kong and in Shenzhen at the Pinyin Festival and the New Music Ensemble by the Kollektiv Totem. "Ephemerality" was interpreted by this wonderfully creative group in two concerts in December 2016. In 2017-2018, Natalie worked with the Hush Foundation, being commissioned to write for the Australian Chamber Orchestra for the annual Hush CD alongside former/current mentors Paul Stanhope and Matthew Hindson. Her piece “Won’t Let You Down” will be premiered in Sydney at City Recital Hall in September 2018, and at Melbourne Recital Hall also. She is furthering her study by continuing on from a Bachelor of Music (Composition) with Honours degree (2014), also from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Her most technically and conceptually challenging piece to date; “Rhapsodie L’Insanite” for solo piano, was premiered in Sydney by the exceptionally talented Viet-Anh Nguyen in 2014 at a concert series “Splash”, and further performed in Viet’s final recital alongside Liszt’s “Apres Une Lecture Du Dante”. In 2013, Natalie established her love for writing for string quartet, after writing for the Australian String Quartet under the guidance of Andrew Ford, with the premiere of her piece "Turning in the Widening Gyre" in Adelaide's Elder Hall, as a winner of the National Composers Forum. Natalie was also invited in 2017 to the Gondwana National Choral School composer school, and happily again in 2018, where she studied with Antony Pitts, director of the Song Company. The Muses Trio, a piano trio, will be touring Natalie's latest work for them as part of International Womens' Day 2018 in March, starting in Byron Bay. Natalie currently also lectures as a contracted composer in Sydney high schools, owns/runs a piano tuition school, and performs in bands and duos around Australia in various venues/events— proudly making up one half of her key pop duo Nat & Mark music.