Sam Nichols is a composer who lives and works in Northern California.
His music has been performed by Earplay, eighth blackbird, the Empyrean Ensemble, and the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, among other groups. Recent projects include two commissions from Bay Area groups: Refuge, a string quartet written for the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and Unnamed, Jr. a trio for Earplay. Upcoming projects include new solo works for percussionist Chris Froh and cellist David Russell. He's also currently working on The Metamorphosis, a chamber opera for Guerilla Opera.
An ongoing collaboration with sculptor Robin Hill has produced two multi-media installations. One of these, Kardex, was featured at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis, CA.
He attended Vassar College and Brandeis University. He works as a lecturer in the UC Davis Music Department; he also teaches in collaboration with the Technocultural Studies Program.