Cellist Nicholas Gold has been the winner of many diverse competitions and awards throughout the United States. The classical Voice of New England describes his playing as “…precise and assured, seeming impeccable… He's clearly a musician to watch.” Some of the awards he has won include University of Massachusetts concerto competition, Huntsville Symphony young artists competition, Ruth Cole Weber Scholarship, and he was named the 2004 Brevard Music Center's Outstanding Artist. While attending The University of Massachusetts, Nicholas was honored with the title “Dean's Scholar.” The Dean created this specific scholarship in order for Nicholas to attend the University without any monetary stipulation. In addition, the Chancellor also awarded him with the much sought after “Talent Award.” Nicholas has also been a national finalist in the prestigious Music Teachers National Association and the American String Teacher's Association's solo string competitions.
At the age of twenty-five, Nicholas has excelled as a soloist and has been heard from coast to coast. Recent engagements have included concerts at Merrimack Hall, Birmingham Museum of Art, Smith College, Amherst College, New York City's Hudson Gardens, New York City School for Strings, Colorado's Convention Center, Stanford University, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Nicholas has played include the Schumann Concerto with the UMass Orchestra, solo collaborations with James Buswell and Ellen DePasquale with the Blossom Chamber Orchestra, and performances of the Schubert Cello Quintet the Lark String Quartet in Washington D.C. This past season he has been featured playing solo broadcasts on Nashville WPLN's “Live from studio C” as well as performing on various television specials. Recent televised collaborations have been at the Ryman Auditorium for the Haiti Relief, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and national broadcasts on PBS with Orla Fallon and David Archuleta, performed at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Recent chamber collaborations have been with the Nashville Chamber Society, Nexus Chamber Masterworks Series and faculty concert series at Austin Peay State University, Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music and Belmont University with the Nashville Ballet.
Nicholas has spent many of his summers at various festivals such as Kent/Blossom, Sewanee, Brevard and Eastern Music Festivals. He has also taught and coached chamber music at both Interlochen Center for the Arts and the New York School for Strings. Likewise, Nicholas has had the opportunity to play with many professional orchestras. He has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Orchestra Kentucky, Plymouth Philharmonic and Huntsville Symphony and Opera.
As much as an active player, Nicholas has a passion for teaching. He has been on the faculty of the Springfield Community Music School and the Northampton Community Music Center. Nicholas has also taught cello and coached chamber and orchestral music at Amherst College. In 2010-2011 he served on the faculty as the Adjunct Cello Professor at Austin Peay State University where he provided individual instruction on the cello and chamber music for undergraduate and graduate music majors. Currently Nicholas maintains a private cello studio in downtown Nashville at the historic Marathon Village building.
Nicholas works as a full time studio musician, performer and teacher. He is an alternate cellist for Nashville, Harrisburg and Alabama symphonies. He is also a core member of the Nexus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Kentucky and the Huntsville Symphony.
Nicholas moved to Nashville in 2010 after auditioning and being invited to work with the Nashville String Machine, a classically trained group of session musicians. While he stays busy and routed within the classical community of the Southeast US, he has been in demand as a session player as well. A few of the commercial clients (both studio and live) have included: Lionel Richie, Shanina Twain, Bill and Gloria Gaither, The Gaither Homecoming Band, David Archuleta, Orla Fallon, Disney Japan, Michael W Smith, Richard Marx, and Sony Playstation.
In 2010, Nicholas Gold and Patricia Rudisill formed the Elliston Duo. They have quickly gained a reputation as a powerful and dynamic ensemble. Elliston has planned to commission various works for the limited violin and cello repertoire. Since the groups inception, Elliston has been featured twice on Nashville Public Radio (WPLN). They have also given recitals at the Nexus Chamber Masterworks Series, West End United Methodist, Austin Peay State University, University of Miami(FL), and both recital and masterclasses at Western Kentucky University.