Big River Brass Band

Conductor, 2016 - Present

Nicolas has served as the conductor of the Big River Brass Band since the summer of 2016. Founded in 2002, the Big River Brass Band is an adult community ensemble made up of 40+ amateur musicians from the greater Quad Cities (Iowa/Illinois) area. The Big River Brass Band rehearses twice per month starting in March in preparation for a summer concert schedule of 5-6 concerts in area parks, bandshells, and public locations. They also perform an annual Holiday Concert in December which draws hundreds of audience members. The Big River Brass Band embraces brass band and summer park band traditions by playing a wide variety of musical styles including marches, jazz, classical, and contemporary literature. Nicolas was named the winner of the American Prize in Conducting - Community Band Division in 2019/20 for his work with the Big River Brass Band.