Percussion

A percussionist of great versatility and virtuosity, George Nickson has been hailed as “a performer handling his role with ease and flair” by The New York Times and “a formidable percussionist to watch out for” by The Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina.

George, a native of South Florida, was appointed Principal Percussionist of the Sarasota Orchestra in April 2012. He has also received the Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School, where he studied with Daniel Druckman. George completed his undergraduate studies at the New England Conservatory with Will Hudgins and has been a fellow at both the Tanglewood Music Center and the Music Academy of the West.

Recent highlights include solo performances at Spoleto Festival USA, recording projects that can be heard on NAXOS and Bridge Records, performing Sur Incises by Pierre Boulez with AXIOM at Lincoln Center, and a complete performance of Drumming by Steve Reich at (le) Poisson Rouge.

In 2013, George will be recording Charles Wuorinen’s seminal solo percussion work, Janissary Music , in conjunction with the composer, for release on NEOS Records. Previous years’ engagements include solo percussion recitals at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, in addition to serving as Guest Principal Percussionist with the National Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo.

Solo performances and master classes have brought him to Green Bay East High School, Florida Day Of Percussion, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Universidad de Caldas in Manizales, Colombia.

An ardent proponent of new music, George was a member of the Xanthos Ensemble from 2005-2010 and has worked closely with our greatest living composers, in particular, Elliott Carter, Charles Wuorinen, Oliver Knussen and Steve Reich.

In addition to the classical field, Nickson has had the pleasure of performing with numerous rock and pop groups throughout the New York and Boston areas. He is currently the drummer/percussionist for Evan Shinners and the SUITS! George is an artist for and plays Zildjian Cymbals, Mapex Drums, and Majestic Percussion.