With an eclectic repertory that spans from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, acclaimed cellist/gambist Caroline Nicolas enjoys an active and multifaceted career as one of the outstanding performers in her field. Noted for her “eloquent artistry and rich, vibrant sound” (Gainesville Times), she has been praised for her unique ability to combine emotionally rich interpretations with a historically inquisitive spirit. She regularly appears with leading ensembles as soloist, chamber musician, and music director. 

Ensembles she has worked with include the English Concert, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Ars Lyrica Houston, Juilliard Baroque, Harmonia Stellarum, Philharmonia Baroque, Pacific MusicWorks, Kammerorchester Basel, New World Symphony, and Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein. She recently completed her tenure as music director of New Baroque Orchestra. Festival appearances include the Boston Early Music Festival, Indianapolis Early Music Festival, Bach Festival Leipzig, and Styriarte Festival in Austria. Notable venues include the KKL Luzern, Berliner Philharmonie, Alice Tully Hall, and Benaroya Hall. Her performances have been broadcast on KING FM in Washington, KUHF in Texas, WDIY in Pennsylvania, and CCTV in China. Notable collaborations include such eminent musicians as Andrea Marcon, Amandine Beyer, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Jordi Savall, William Christie, Rachel Podger, Harry Bicket, and Stephen Stubbs.

This season, Caroline is looking forward to performances with Philharmonia Baroque, Tempeste di Mare, the Victoria Symphony, Victoria Baroque, Early Music Access Project, Andersen’s Nightingale, Emerald City Music, Sonnambula, Early Music Society of the Islands, Yale Voxtet, the Sebastians, Teatro Nuovo, Night Music, and Harmonia Stellarum. She will also be touring solo recital programs for the Gotham Early Music Scene, Church of the Holy Trinity, and the Salt Spring Early Music Society. Her recent performance with Emerald City Music was listed in the Seattle Times as a top pick for classical music concerts that season.

Notable distinctions include having been selected as a fellow of The English Concert in America, an award given to young musicians “who appear likely to make significant contributions to the field of early music.”  As the winner of The Juilliard School’s Historical Performance concerto competition, she made her solo debut in Alice Tully Hall, New York City. 

 A passionate educator, Caroline is often invited by early music organizations to lecture on various topics in historical performance practice. She has been a guest teacher at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Victoria, and at the University of Washington School of Music. As a lecturer, Caroline has led workshops for Pacific Northwest Viols, Cascadia Viols, the Port Townsend Early Music Workshop, and Seattle Historical Arts for Kids. Caroline’s private students have been accepted as music majors to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the Indiana Conservatory Jacobs School of Music, and the University of Washington, and have attended such summer festivals as the American Bach Soloists Academy and Oberlin’s Baroque Performance Institute. She has recently been featured in an Early Music America magazine article, discussing historical bowing techniques. 

A native of Winnipeg, Canada, Caroline was first introduced to the cello as a young child. Too restless to stick with a single steel strung instrument, she pursued early music studies with Phoebe Carrai at The Juilliard School, and with Christophe Coin and Paolo Pandolfo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland. When not performing, Caroline spends her time devouring books, Star Trek, and her husband’s (lutenist Kevin Payne) cooking.