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University of Wyoming

Dr. Christopher Nicholas
Director, Western Thunder Marching Band

(307) 766-5127
cnich@uwyo.edu

Dr. Christopher Nicholas joined the University of Wyoming faculty in the fall of 2001. His responsibilities at UW include directing the Western Thunder Marching Band, Symphonic Band, and Men's and Women's Basketball Bands, as well as teaching studio trombone and music education courses in the Department of Music. A native of Illinois, Mr. Nicholas received his Bachelor of Science in Music Education degree at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and his M.A. and D.M.A. degrees in Wind Conducting at the University of Iowa.

A versatile conductor and trombonist, Dr. Nicholas has accepted performance engagements in both classical and jazz idioms throughout America, Europe, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Caribbean, including recitals and concerts in Switzerland, Germany, England, France, and Austria; Taoyuan, Taichung, Taipei, Jiou Fen, and Lukang, Taiwan, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Dr. Nicholas has served as Conductor of the Ensemble des Instruments a Vents Sainte Trinitie in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, West Indies, as well as the Wyoming Ambassadors of Music Concert Band on their European tour, conducting concerts in England, France, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

In demand as a classical trombonist, Dr. Nicholas has performed with the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonique Sainte Trinitie in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, The Ohio Light Opera, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Contemporary Chamber Players, the University of Iowa Center for New Music, the University of Iowa Faculty Brass Quintet, and the University of Wyoming Faculty Brass Quintet. Also highly in demand as a jazz trombonist and clinician, Professor Nicholas has performed with Louie Bellson, Ed Thigpen, Clark Terry, Cecil Bridgewater, Kim Richmond, Reggie Thomas, Rick Haydon, Clay Jenkins, Jim Widner, Grammy Award Winner Allison Krauss, and as a trombonist in the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, formerly known as the Jazz Members Big Band of Chicago.

Dr. Nicholas is currently active in the Denver and Fort Collins music scenes, performing live and in the recording studio on upcoming releases as the featured trombonist with the Caleb Riley Funk Orchestra, The Lindsey O’Brien Band, The FoCo All-Stars, Victor Barnes, and the Hugh Jazz Quintet. In recent performances with the Funk Orchestra, Nicholas has shared the national stage with the likes of Bruce Hornsby, Los Lobos, Little Feat, and former members of Medeski, Martin and Wood, Parliament Funkadelic, and Prince.

Dr. Nicholas is active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the West and the Midwest and has presented clinics at music education conferences on topics ranging from computer-based technology in music education to strategies for improved intonation in band performance. Mr. Nicholas's articles have appeared in the Wyoming Music Educator’s Journal, the Journal of the Iowa Bandmasters Association, and the Bands of America Summer Symposium handbook. In the fall of 2006 Mr. Nicholas was elected to the Board of Directors of the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps. Recently nominated for a “Top Teacher” award at the University of Wyoming, Dr. Nicholas is a dedicated teacher, performer, and advocate of student opportunities in music on an international scale.