CONDUCTING
Nicholas began conducting whilst a chorister at the Drakensberg Boy’s Choir School.
His first conducting post was as choirmaster and conductor of the choir and band at Pridwin Preparatory School 1996.
In April of 1997 he was appointed the Musical Director of Côr Meibion Cymru de Affrig (The Welsh Male Voice Choir of South Africa). For the next 7 years he remained at the helm of this well-known choir, producing 3 albums. In October of 2000, Nicholas took the choir to the United Kingdom to perform in the Royal Albert Hall for the Millennium Festival of Male Voice Choirs.
He made his orchestral conducting debut in the Johannesburg City Hall, in 1998. He conducted the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg during the Last night of the Proms.
In 2002 Nicholas began studying conducting with Richard Cock and he went on to conduct the Chanticleer Singers for the first time in a performance of Schubert’s Mass in G at Holy Trinity Church in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
In 2005 he was invited to conduct the Johannesburg Camerata, a chamber orchestra of talented young performers, during their Winter Season. He then went on to conduct the Johannesburg Chamber Wind Ensemble from 2006-2008. In 2006 he furthered his Choral Conducting studies under the direction of the Norwegian pedagogue, Kåre Hanken. In the same year Nicholas conducted the Johannesburg-based chamber choir Collegium Vocale during their Winter Season.
In 2009 he was invited to conduct the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra in a programme of music by Leroy Anderson, the vocal ensemble ‘In Verse’ and the Chanticleer Singers during their Christmas season. Nicholas was the winner of the inaugural Young Choral Conductors Competition held during the Stellenbosch International Choral Conducting Symposium held in March 2009.
In February 2010 he was awarded the Silver Medal in the inaugural Len van Zyl Conducting Competition held in conjunction with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Over the Easter period of that year he conducted Cantamus Corde in a performance of J S Bach’s St John’s Passion, whilst singing the role of the Evangelist.
Nicholas appeared as guest conductor of the Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town in a concert with music by Ramirez and Klatzow as well as their Easter performance of Handel's Messiah in 2012. He conducted the Free State Symphony Orchestra in Bloemfontein in excerpts from Handel's Messiah.
He was invited to conduct the inaugural concert of the Odeion School of Music’s Camerata Ensemble and the opening Gala concert of the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria.
In January this year Nicholas was appointed as the new conductor of the Singkronies Chamber Choir. Their first project was entitled 'Renaissance Reloaded' and comprised of music by Palestrina and the other masters as well as Pärt and Taverner. Their latest project will explore the music of J.S. Bach.
In October 2013 the Gauteng Philharmonic was established based out of the Brooklyn Theatre, Pretoria. Nicholas is currently the resident conductor. He is is contracted to conduct a new symphony programme each month during 2014. Highlights this year include collaborations with notable soloists such as Zanta Hofmeyr in Beethoven's Violin Concerto, Wim Viljoen in Handel's Organ Concerto 1, Wonny Song(Canada) in Beethoven' 5th Piano Concerto, Marlene Verwey (England) in Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto and Emmanuel Bach (England) in Paganini's Violin Concerto.
