Born: July 29, 1985 Primary Instrument: Composer/conductor/leader
Born in Los Angeles, California in 1985, Nicholas Urie was a recipient of the first annual ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s Award at the age of 17. Nicholas left Los Angeles after completing high schol to study composition with Bob Brookmeyer in Boston MA. A Graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Nicholas’ music has been heard internationally at festivals and concerts in Peru, Syria, Spain, England, Germany and the United States. Nicholas has an unusually varied background in all forms of composed music bridging the gap between jazz and contemporary music styles. Nicholas is an active conductor leading both large jazz ensembles as well as complete symphony orchestras performing works that range from straight ahead jazz to contemporary classical music. He has frequently collaborated with celebrated vibraphonist Dave Samuels who has commissioned a number of pieces for Big Band and chamber ensembles, most recently commissioning a concerto for Vibraphone and Chamber Ochestra that was premiered by the Berklee School of Music in Decemeber of 2007. Nicholas’ music has been performed by; Bob Brookmeyer, Frank Carlberg, Dave Samuels, Bob Moses, the Metropole Orchestra, Ximo Tebar/Granada Jazz Festival Big Band, the Ambassador Jazz Orchestra, the Mobius Chamber Orchestra, the Berklee Chamber Orchestra, Orange County High School of The Arts Symphony Orchestra, and the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra among others.
