Charles Nichols
Charles Nichols, Professor - Composition, Music Production
School of Performing Arts
242-N Squires (0138)
290 College Avenue
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-5335 | csnii@vt.edu
Composer, computer music researcher, and violinist Charles Nichols explores the expressive potential of instrumental ensembles and computer music systems, for the concert stage and collaborations with dance, video, and installation art. For his compositions, he researches spatial audio, data sonification, motion capture, telematic performance, and interface design. He performs on laptop in the duo Kill All Kings, with saxophonist Kyle Hutchins, and on electric violin in the band Modality. Recent publications include the album Crossing the Divide, recorded by the Beo String Quartet and released by Centaur Records, the Kill All Kings album Four of a Kind, released by Mother Brain Records, and the Modality album Embodiment, released by House of Watts.
His commissions include Nicolo, Jimi, and John, a three-movement concert for viola, orchestra, and computer, written for Brett Deubner and the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, ’59, for jazz band, written for the Amherst College jazz band, Flutter, Pulse, and Flight, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and computer, written for Earplay, Moiré Fringe, for electric violin and computer, written for an event by artist Janet Biggs and performed by the composer, and Chasing the Sun, for computer music, realized for a video installation by Joelle Dietrick.
He has composed as a resident at the Brush Creek and Ucross artist retreats, conducted research as a visiting scholar at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) at McGill University and Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) at Queen's University Belfast, and taught computer music workshops at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Banff Centre, Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University, and Charlotte New Music Festival.
While earning degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Yale University, and Stanford University, his primary teachers were Samuel Adler, Martin Bresnick, and Jonathan Harvey for composition; Jonathan Berger, Chris Chafe, and Jean-Claude Risset for computer music research; Charles Castleman for violin performance; and Allen Forte for theory. While at Yale, he was a Research Associate at the Center for Studies in Music Technology (CSMT), and at Stanford, he was a Technical Director at CCRMA. Previously he was an Associate Professor of Composition and Music Technology at the University of Montana and now is a Professor of Composition and Music Production at Virginia Tech.
- Composition, Music Production
- PhD, Stanford University
- MM, Yale University School of Music
- BM, Eastman School of Music
What is the most satisfying or rewarding moment of your artistic process?
As a composer, the most satisfying moment of my artistic process is when the music starts to assert itself, leading the organization of the piece.
What gives you the most satisfaction as a teacher?
That moment during a lecture, when a student lights up with understanding, gives me the most satisfaction as a teacher.
What is the most important quality for any student in the performing arts to cultivate?
Persistence or perseverance is the most important quality for any artist, especially for students and young artists.