Nicholas V. Hall (b. 1991) is an active composer, percussionist, educator, and arranger passionate about creating new sounds and timbres while seeking to expand beyond a single genre by taking influence from his diverse musical background. He works to fuse these elements into a single multi-genre style described as “beautifully ambient” with “smooth and rich dynamics of the timbre sonorities” alongside “strong rhythmic vitality and clear textures.” Nicholas continues to push himself beyond certain comfort levels to create a unique experience for the musicians and the audience that strives to connect with and reach new listeners.

As a composer, Nicholas draws inspiration from his percussive background by combining rhythmic diversity with an innate sense of internal time. This combination served as the foundation for his series of percussion duets, “Motions”—which continues to develop and receive performances worldwide—and he continues to expand these percussive qualities into new ensemble settings. His work has been featured and recognized by organizations and groups such as Charlotte New Music Festival, Sandbox Summer Seminar, Association for the Promotion of New Music, Chelsea Symphony Orchestra, Sō Percussion Summer Institute, Catchfire Collective, North Shore Symphony Orchestra, Symphony No. 1, ASCAP Plus+ Award, International Clarinet Association, Lake George Music Festival, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Verdant Vibes New Music Ensemble, New York University, Pulsing & Shaking Festival and more. Nicholas continuously makes an effort to work closely with some of today’s leading contemporary musicians, including JACK Quartet, Sō Percussion, Bent Frequency, Sandbox Percussion, Manhattan Symphonie, Iktus Percussion, Maestro Andrew Cyr, NYU Contemporary Music Ensemble, Robinson Panoramic Quartet, Washington Square Winds, NYU Symphony Orchestra, North Shore Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Vlad Vizireanu, and more. He is the past artistic director and composer in residence for Cisum Percussion and continually participates in festivals and seminars.

As a performer, Nicholas has been a featured soloist and an ensemble member in various musical settings. Like his work as a composer, he strives to bridge the gap among musical genres and emphasizes the visual component of his performances. Nicholas has toured the world—including several tours to China and Ireland—and performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Shanxi Poly Grand Theatre, National Sawdust, Wuhan Qintai Grand Theatre, Markin Halls, Guangzhou Opera House, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, and Kodak Theater at Eastman. As an ensemble member, he has performed with The Socially Distant Orchestra, Cisum Percussion, and LoopHouse. Along with an active performance schedule, Nicholas is working on an educational set of mallet and percussion etudes—#etudein60—which strives to make contemporary and extended techniques more accessible to students from beginner to advanced difficulty. As a soloist, he has performed with the LIU Post Symphony Orchestra and the North Shore Symphony Orchestra and on numerous recitals, masterclasses, and concerts. Nicholas proudly endorses Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets and DREAM Cymbals and Gongs. 

Along with being an active composer/performer, Nicholas is also an educator. He is currently an instructor and arranger for Roslyn High School and arranger for Brentwood High School. Previous instructor and arranger positions include the Long Island Sunrisers, Division Avenue High School, East Lyme High School, Putnum High School, and clinics with Cisum Percussion. Nicholas holds degrees from New York University (M.M. in Music Theory and Composition) and Long Island University (B.S. in Music), where he studied music composition under the direction of Julia Wolfe, Justin Dello Joio, and Carl Strommen and studied percussion performance under the direction of Jonathan Haas, Sean Statser, and Frank Cassara. Before his collegiate studies, Nicholas studied percussion performance under Frank Mediate, John Micelli, and Jules Radino.