North End Music & Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) is thrilled to congratulate Nicholas Brown, Clarinetist Instructor & Charlestown Music Programs Coordinator, winner of the 2019 Harold Wright Merit Award Competition!

The annual Harold Wright Memorial Clarinet Merit Award Competition is presented by the Boston Woodwind Society (BWS). The competition honors the memory and artistry of former Boston Symphony Orchestra principal clarinetist Harold Wright. Recipients of this award receive and prize and are invited to perform in a concert as a member of the BWS Merit Award Quartet, made up of four award recipients.

Nicholas is a clarinetist and educator in Boston, MA. He is Principal Clarinet of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and Second/Bass Clarinetist with Boston Lyric Opera, following two years with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He is a substitute with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and New World Symphony, among many other New England orchestras.

Nicholas has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra and Symphony Nova, as well as being a finalist for the Eastern Connecticut Symphony’s Solo Competition and grand-prize winner of the Jean and Harvey Picker Prize, Emily K. Rand Scholarship, and the Boston University Departmental Award for Excellence in Performance.

As a chamber musician Nicholas has appeared as a Festival Artist with the Newport Music Festival. He is also a member of Hathor Winds, a Boston-based wind quintet that has performed throughout New England and competed at the Fischoff and Plowman competitions, as well as being one of two semi-finalist ensembles in the 2015 Astral Artists National Auditions.

Nicholas’ primary teachers include Thomas Martin, John Bruce Yeh, and Ethan Sloane. He has also worked with Stephen Williamson, John Bruce Yeh, Michael Wayne, David Martins, Yehuda Gilad, Larry Guy, Joaquin Valdepeñas, Pierre Dutrieu, and Thomas Parchman. Nicholas received his Bachelor of Music, cum laude from Boston University and Master of Music with Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory of Music.

As part of the NEMPAC faculty and since joining earlier this year in the role of Charlestown Music Programs Coordinator, Nicholas has been an inspiration for our students and key in assisting to develop current and future programs and partnerships, engaging with the community, and helping develop after-school and in-school music curriculum.

We sincerely congratulate Nicholas for winning the 2019 Harold Wright Memorial Clarinet Merit Award Competition!

To see a clip with Nicholas performing with a chamber ensemble, please click here.