Jonathan Nichol, saxophonist
Jonathan Nichol is a member of the acclaimed h2 quartet, recipients of the prestigious Gold Medal at the 2007 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the First Prize Award at the inaugural North American Saxophone Alliance Chamber Music Competition. The h2 Quartet’s CD Generations (BGR 185) was released in August 2008 on the Blue Griffin Recordings label. h2’s second CD, Times and Spaces (BGR 211) and the Blue Griffin Label received a 2010 Aaron Copland Fund Recording Grant. In March, 2012 h2 quartet released its third album, Groove Machine (BG 245)
Jonathan Nichol actively performs and records with Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, directed by Bill Ryan. With the GVSU NME, Nichol has recently recorded Terry Riley’s in C, which is featured on the NME’s album In C Remixed (Innova Recordings 758). Nichol was also a featured soloist on the album: GVSU New Music Ensemble featuring Dennis DeSantis Terry Riley: In C, recorded live in New York at Le Poisson Rouge (Ghostly International, GI-108).
Jonathan Nichol is a Yamaha Performing Artist and a Rico Performing Artist.
Award-winning saxophonist Jonathan Nichol is the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Grand Valley State University. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (2010) and a Master of Music degree (2007) from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University (2005,). Nichol’s primary teachers have been John Nichol, Joseph Lulloff, Rob Smith, Diego Rivera, and Rodney Whitaker.
Recently, Jonathan Nichol was a semi-finalist in the 2009 Concert Artist Guild Competition and a finalist in the 2012 Concert Artist Guild Competition with h2 quartet. He is a recipient of the prestigious Michigan State University Distinguished Fellowship and he is a Presser Scholar. Nichol was the winner of the Central Michigan University Concerto Competition and two-time winner of the Michigan State University Concerto Competition. He recently performed Michael Torke’s Saxophone Concerto with the Alma Symphony Orchestra and William Bolcom’s Concert Suite with the Grand Valley State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. In July 2009, Nichol was invited to premier five new works for solo saxophone and saxophone quartet at the 15th World Saxophone Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand. He has performed with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Harry James Orchestra, Gene Krupa Orchestra, The Four Tops, The Fifth Dimension, Lansing Symphony Big Band, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the Machine (Pink Floyd tribute band), and the Nichol Trio.
