Michael Nicolella

Michael Nicolella is recognized as one of America's most innovative classical guitar virtuosos. As a concert artist, Michael has performed throughout North America and Europe as solo recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestra. He has received wide critical acclaim for his performances, recordings and compositions. Classical Guitar magazine recently referred to him as “one of the contemporary guitar’s most gifted stars”; while the Washington Post stated “Since the passing of Andres Segovia the guitar world has needed an advocate... perhaps Michael Nicolella is that person.”

A uniquely eclectic and versatile artist, Michael blurs the lines between musical styles and disciplines. He is part of a growing trend in classical music to revitalize the role of the composer/performer. As a concert artist he frequently programs his own works for guitar in solo, chamber and orchestral settings. His latest work, "Ten Years Passed," for electric guitar and orchestra was premiered in Spring 2007 by the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. Known for his creative programming, he has introduced electric guitar into his "classical" programs and extended the repertoire and audience of his instrument not only with his own compositions and transcriptions, but also by premiering and commissioning works by some of today's most exciting emerging composers including John Fitz Rogers, Christopher DeLaurenti, Anthony Gatto, Tom Baker, Apostolos Paraskevas and Joshua Kohl.

His most recent recording, "Shard," features his composition for classical guitar and orchestra, "Guitar Concerto," performed with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Anthony Spain, along with music for classical and electric guitar by Reich, Carter, ter Veldhuis, DeLaurenti, Mesler and Kohl. The disc was described in a recent issue of Frets magazine as “an exciting textbook on how to honor the classical tradition and kick it in the ass at the same time.”