Caroline
Nicolas
Submitted:
April 10, 2025
Awarded
: $
2000
Contact Information:
Caroline
Nicolas
175 W 126th Street
Apt. 1
New York
NY
10027
USA
713-385-1658
Reference 1:
Patricia Neely
Reference 2:
John Thiessen
Summary of Submitted Materials:
Additional Document 1: Estimate from Charles Mueller for Recording
Additional Document 2: Estimate from Avie Records
Additional Document 3: Letter of support from CEO of Avie Records
Recordings:
Here is a link to a YouTube recording. I am unable to download the video and upload it, so I am sending the link directly:
https://youtu.be/HUlChTX_I80
Submitted Documents:
Submitted Recordings:
Committee Notes:
Project Description:
My project is to record an album of solo viola da gamba repertoire. This will be my debut CD as a gambist, and it will be distributed by Avie Records. I plan on recording it in the early Fall, with a release sometime in Spring 2026.
The theme of the program centers around a story of musical exploration. As this is a solo recording, I am deeply drawn to the idea of the musician as meditator, who is visiting a variety of sound worlds. Thus, the repertoire was chosen off of this central question: “If I were to choose one set of music that highlights the viol’s most exceptional qualities, what would it be?”
The CD will include, but not be limited to:
-Les Pleurs by Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe
-Chaconne by Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe
-Passacaglia by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (arranged by myself)
-Deth by Tobias Hume
-Life by Tobias Hume
-Fantasia 11 by Georg Philipp Telemann
-Prelude in D Le Sieur de Machy
-Les Voix Humaines by Marin Marais
-Arpeggio in d minor by Carl Friedrich Abel
-A set of Recercadas by Diego Ortiz
The recording will be done by Charles Mueller, a Grammy award winning audio engineer with whom I have collaborated in the past. I trust his ear implicitly, and have been delighted with his work in the past.
For distribution, I have met with Melanne Mueller, CEO of Avie Records, a prestigious global distributor. Avie Records is a leading independent classical label that has published multiple Grammy, Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine and Diapason d’or de l’année awards. Melanne is eager to promote my album, as she has been a wonderful source of support in my career.
Receiving a grant from the Viola da Gamba Society of America would not only be a tremendous honor, but will also enable me to share this music I love so profoundly with a wide audience.
Request Amount:
$
2000
Total Project Cost:
$
8840
Budget and Additional Funding:
This project will cost $6,840.00 more than I am requesting. Those costs will be covered by me personally, with funds I have in a savings account,
Qualifications:
I am a professional viola da gamba player. My viol studies began around 2013. I enrolled in consort lessons with Sarah Cunningham while I was a Baroque cello major at The Juilliard School. After my studies in New York, I worked with Paolo Pandolfo and Randall Cook at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Paolo was my private teacher, and our work together covered a more generalized overview of the viol repertory. With Randall, my studies focused on music of the Renaissance. I have now returned to New York, where I lead an active career as a recitalist, consort player, continuo player, and educator. Gotham Early Music Scene recently praised me as “one of the finest gambists working today”. As a featured gambist, I have performed with Trinity Wall Street, the New World Symphony, the Victoria Symphony, and Mercury Baroque. In consort settings, collaborators include Parthenia, Science Ficta, Sonnambula, and Abendmusik. Other regular collaborations include the Sebastians, Sound Salon, Yale Voxtet, and Early Music Access Project. Gotham Early Music Scene recently praised me as “one of the finest gambists working today”.
As a recital soloist, this year I will be performing for GEMS’ Midtown Concerts, Elm City Consort, Connecticut Early Music Festival, Gallery Concerts, among other venues. More information can be found at www.carolinenicolas.com.