Bio
Winner of 2 East Coast music awards with the Jive Kings,
Bob Nicholson is enjoying a varied and successful career. Bob recently
completed three years as tubaist with the Calgary based Foothills Brass
Quintet and is now playing tuba and bass trombone with Maritime Brass
Quintet. Bob performed for 5 years with 'The Phantom of the Opera'
in Toronto Bob and for 14 summers in the pit orchestra of 'Anne of
Green Gables' at the Charlottetown Festival. As an orchestral musician Mr.
Nicholson has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian
Opera Company Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, CBC Toronto Jazz
Orchestra and the National Ballet Orchestra among others. Theatre work
'in the pit' includes Toronto productions of Beauty and the Beast,
Showboat, Crazy for You, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and numerous
productions at the Charlottetown Festival. Bob studied at the University
of PEI, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the University of
Toronto and at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara,
California.
Resume
PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE
Chamber Music:
Maritime Brass Quintet (Halifax), Tuba and Bass Trombone
Halifax Trombone Summit, Bass Trombone
Back Alley Big Band, Halifax, Bass Trombone
Booty Boppin' Brass Band, Sousaphone
Foothills Brass (Calgary), tuba and Bass Trombone
Northumberland Brass (many CBC Radio Broadcasts)
Jive Kings (ECMA award winning), Bass trombone and Tuba
Hannaford Street Silver Band (CBC TV and Radio), Euphonium and Bass Trombone
Theatre:
2015-2016 Neptune Theate, Halifax, A Year with Frog and Toad and Urinetown
1998-2011 Charlottetown Festival Orchestra, Anne of Green Gables, Canada Rocks, British Invasion, Buddy Holly, etc…
1993-1998 Phantom of the Opera, Toronto
1997 Banff Centre for the Arts, Opera Orchestra, Jackie O
1991-1998 Freelance work with Toronto productions of: Beauty and the Beast, Showboat, Crazy for You, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, and Secret Garden
1985 Charlottetown Festival Swing Orchestra
Orchestral:
Bass Trombonist with Symphony Nova Scotia
Freelance work with:
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
Second Trombonist, Symphony Nova Scotia
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
National Ballet of Canada
Hamilton Philharmonic
Kitchener- Waterloo Symphony
Windsor Symphony
Niagara Symphony
Canadian Opera Company
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Elmer Iseler Singers
Amadeus Choir
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Private:
Sept 2013-Present Instructor of trombone, euphonium and tuba at Acadia University
Jan-May 2013 Lecturer in Brass, University of Prince Edward Island
1998-Present Private
Brass instructor
1988-Present Brass clinician and adjudicator (Universities, music camps, schools and festivals across Canada and the US)
1996-1997 Bass Trombone/Tuba instructor, Humber College, Toronto
Classroom:
2015-Present Brass Specialist, Brass Choir and Intermediate Jazz Ensemble Director, Halifax Regional Centre for Edication
Sept-Dec 2013 Music History Instructor, NSCC
Jan.-May 2013 Lecturer in Music History and Brass Techniques, University of Prince Edward Island
2002-Present Substitute
music teacher, Eastern School District, PEI and Halifax Regional School Board
1991-1993 Music Teacher (itinerant), Toronto Board of Education
OTHER EXPERIENCE
2006-Present Programming Chair, PEI Jazz and Blues Festival
2005-2007 Co-Chair, PEI Jazz and Blues Festival
2004-2010 Music copyist, Charlottetown Festival
2000-2002 Organized several fundraisers with the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, PEI Chapter, raising in excess of $10,000
2000-2001 Co-Chair Classical/Jazz Stage at ECMA 2001
1999-2002 Manager, ECMA winning Jive Kings (including grant submissions, booking agent, publicity, tour manager, and bookkeeping)
1996-1998 Toronto Theatre Musicians Association, board member
1996-1998 Toronto Musicians Association Theatre Advisory Committee
1997 Ontario Workers Safety Theatre Committee
EDUCATION
1992-1993 Graduate work at University of Toronto (Masters in Performance)
1990 & 1991 Scotia Festival of Music, Halifax
1987-1988 Orchestral Training Program, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto
1986 & 1987 Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara, California
1987 Bachelor of Music (Education), University of Prince Edward Island
Principal Teachers:
Murray Crewe, University of Toronto
Keith Brown, Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara, California
James Montgomery, University of Prince Edward Island
Timothy Skeldon, University of Prince Edward Island
Gregory Irvine, Private Study
Lessons and Master Classes:
Alain Trudel (trombone soloist, conductor), David Finlayson (New York Philharmonic), Doug Sparks (Vancouver Symphony), Peter Sullivan (Montreal Symphony), Frank Harmantis (Toronto Symphony), Jamie Somerville (Boston Symphony), Roger Bobo (Los Angeles Philharmonic), Joe Alessi (New York Philharmonic)