photo: Georgia Nichols
photo: Georgia Nichols
Sam Nichols is a composer who lives and works in Northern California.
April 29, 2022
I'm organizing a collaboration between the Empyrean Ensemble, the graduate student composers at UC Davis, and shamisen virtuoso Hidejiro Honjoh.
Music will include 5 world premieres, and a solo shamisen piece by Hiroya Miura.
this year
I'm writing a new piece for cellist David Russell.
January 19, 2022
Berlin PianoPercussion gave the world premiere of the complete version of Hinterland at the Konzerthaus, in Berlin.
November 13, 2021
Berlin PianoPercussion gave the West Coast premiere of the first movement of Hinterland at the Pitzer Center, UC Davis.
November 7, 2021
Berlin PianoPercussion gave the world premiere of the first movement of Hinterland at Florida International University.
October 9, 2021
I organized and co-curated a concert by the Empyrean Ensemble at the Pitzer Center, featuring 6 world premieres by UC Davis grad composers, as well as a new piece by my colleague Mika Pelo.
April 30, 2021
I organized a concert by the Empyrean Ensemble at the Pitzer Center, featuring 8 world premieres by UC Davis grad student composers.
January 30 to February 2, 2020
A music festival I helped curate and organize, the Taproot New Music Festival. Featured artists included Spektral Quartet, Quince Ensemble, and UC Davis's own Empyrean Ensemble.
March 29, 2019
ensemble mis-en will premiere There was no shorter way home, a new piece I'm writing for them, in collaboration with artist Robin Hill at their venue in Bushwick.
12pm March 7, 2019
Violist/composer Kurt Rohde plays a new piece I've written for him, Imaginary Units, at the Pitzer Center on campus at UC Davis.
Part of Kurt's multi-year "Farewell" tour. This concert will also feature pieces by Richard Chowenhill, Elaine Lillios, Tina Tallon, and Peter Van Zandt Lane.
7pm March 2, 2019 at the Saturday Music Club in Sacramento
Kurt plays new pieces by me, Richard Chowenhill, Elainie Lillios, Tina Tallon, and Peter Van Zandt Lane.
7pm March 1, 2019 at Center for New Music in SF
Kurt Rohde's Farewell Tour, Part 2
Kurt plays new pieces by me, Richard Chowenhill, Elainie Lillios, Tina Tallon, and Peter Van Zandt Lane, all of which feature viola and electronics.
5pm February 19, 2019
"Left Coast Ear" with Kurt Rohde at the Douglas Adams Gallery in Berkeley.
Violist/composer/mensch Kurt Rohde plays and discusses new pieces by me and Richard Chowenhill.
January 17-20, 2018
A music festival I helped curate and organize, the Revision/s Festival, at UC Davis.
October 5, 2017
Cellist David Russell played Monkey Fist at the Katzin Concert Hall at Arizona State University, as part of "Solitary Adventures," a concert with works by Luciano Berio, Tamar Diesendruck, Lee Hyla, Andy Rindfleisch, Judith Weir, and Roger Zahab.
March 18 and 21, 2017
Violinist Anna Presler premiered my new piece in zwei farben for violin and electronics, in concerts with the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble at the Berkeley Piano Club and the San Francisco Conservatory.
January 26, 2017
Violinist Anna Presler played ghost walk echo/drone song switch for violin and electronics, at the new Pitzer Center at UC Davis.
November 10, 2016
Violinist Anna Presler performed ghost walk echo/drone song switch, two new pieces I wrote for her, for violin and electronics, at the Festival of New American Music.
November 3, 2016
Anna Presler played ghost walk echo for violin and electronics, at a concert the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble gave at the Center for Arts & Religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.
July 9, 2016
Violinist Ben Kreith and I performed Pierre Boulez's Anthèmes 2, as part of the sfSoundFestival at the Gray Area / Grand Theater in SF.
June, 2016
Cellist David Russell played Monkey Fist during Music at Salem's Cello Seminar.
November 21, 2015
David Russell and the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra (Christian Baldini, music director) premiered my cello concerto, This Is Not a Toy for a Child.
June 13, 2015
Iktus Percussion premiered disjecta membra no. 3, as part of the mise-en music festival 2015, in New York.
May 23, 2015
The Mivos Quartet played Refuge at the DiMenna Center, presented by the League of Composers/ISCM.
May 16, 2015
Percussionist Ian Marci premiered disjecta membra no. 2a for bass drum and electronics, at UC Davis.
January 27-31, 2015
An event I helped curate and organize: the Music and Words Festival at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.
January 16, 2015
Performing Kurt Rohde's ...maestoso...misterioso... with Kurt Rohde and Anna Presler of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, as part of new music gathering 2015, at San Francisco Conservatory.
January 11, 2015
Appearance with Ben Kreith, violin, performing Boulez's Anthèmes 2, as part of the San Francisco Tape Music Festival, at the Victoria Theatre.