Biography
Hailed as a “sensitive and intelligent partner,” Nicole Harwell is widely sought after as a collaborative pianist. Her performances have taken her across the US and even to Peru, where she participated in multiple concerts as both soloist and accompanist. Nicole has performed in series such as the Open Space Music Festival presenting Gabriela Ortiz’s world premiere “Tres Canciones de Agua,” the Preston Chamber Music Series in Jackson, Mississippi, and Opera Fort Collin’s Afternoon Tea with a Diva. She was a founding member of the Compass Duo, a violin/piano duo, with which she toured over several states.
Nicole’s teaching experience includes serving as adjunct faculty at the University of Northern Colorado and Aims Community College, as well as a guest artist giving a seminar and masterclass at the Conservatory of Music in Trujillo, Peru. Nicole has taught piano lessons for over 20 years, nurturing students from beginner to advanced. She founded the community music school Flourish Music Academy in Greeley, CO and ran it for 9 years.
As a vocal coach, Nicole enjoys both working with soloists for recitals, as well as for the stage. She has music directed/coached shows such as La Traviata, Signor Deluso, The Sound of Music, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (for which she won the Broadway World Award for Best Music Director in 2018 for the Denver region). Nicole also performs as a singer and actor, having performed widely on stage with local companies such as The Stampede Troupe and Candlelight Dinner Playhouse.
Nicole earned her Masters of Music in Collaborative Piano at the University of Northern Colorado, studying under Dr. Caleb Harris, and her BA in Music at Belhaven University studying with Dr. Stephen Sachs.