CURATOR
Nick's commitment to his art and craft, as a communicator and caretaker, goes far beyond his work as an active performing artist.
The Notables Fall Celebrations at Carnegie Hall
Since 2023 Nick has been curating and hosting Fall Celebrations for Carnegie Hall’s exclusive program for next generation’s philanthropic leaders “The Notables”. Nick’s presentations are dynamic reimagining of the historic physical space and the experience within, which thoughtfully engage diverse communities of music lovers, its supporters and visionaries.
Artistic Residency at Lincoln Center
For three consecutive seasons, working through the COVID-19 pandemic, Nick held an Artistic Residency at Lincoln Center in New York City. His work at Lincoln Center was an exploration of spirited genreless artistic expressions powered by Nick’s imagination and his desire to provoke, inspire, delight, and uplift. As Resident Artist, Nick curated unique musical collaborations connecting artists and their audiences in surprising and intimate settings across the Lincoln Center campus, charting a path for shared discovery and healing. Nick’s Artistic Residency at Lincoln Center was sponsored by Mrs. Veronica Atkins.
HIGHLIGHTS
-
Bringing old and new friends together in the spirit of celebrating human touch, connection and kindness, Nick united the young singers of YPC, the multi-instrumentalist and new “Late Show Band” leader—Louis Cato, and the rising powerhouse of the pop, R&B, blues, rock and moody trip-hop singer-songwriter Danielle Ponder in a holiday program.
With the iconic hustle and bustle of Broadway as the dramatic backdrop to the heart-stopping power of music, Nick made the Lincoln Center's three-story high glass atrium of Alice Tully Hall the fully transparent stage for the program, comprising Francisco Nuñez’s arrangements of songs by Simon and Garfunkel, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and John Lennon, J.S. Bach’s Chorals, Danielle Ponder’s original songs, beloved holiday tunes, and spirituals.
-
Drawing on his diverse network of colleagues to create a series of unique collaborations, Nick presented this multifaceted four-evening event in an informal, improvised space in the porte cochere beneath Lincoln Center Plaza’s grand stair:
August 16: Steve Hackman featuring India Carney and musicians from the New York Philharmonic: Quan Ge, violin; Qianqian Li, violin; Cong Wu, viola; and Nathan Vickery, cello
August 17: Michael Thurber featuring Jon Lampley, Amber Iman, Mark Dover, Nêgah Santos, Justin Goldner, Michael O. Mitchell, Jimmy O’Connell, Jared Schonig, and Bobby Wooten
August 19: Becca Stevens, Nathan Schram, and Chris Tordini
August 20: Time for Three (Ranaan Meyer, Charles Yang, and Nick Kendall)
-
As the inaugural event for his Artistic Residency, Nick presented YPC’s “Ready, Set, Sing!” the free, public, pop-up sing-along was part of the Restart Stages at Lincoln Center celebration—an initiative that reactivated Lincoln Center’s outdoor campus during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Lincoln Center’s The GREEN with Francisco Nuñez, Founder/Artistic Director of YPC, Nick hosted and accompanied the YPC choristers who performed live—for the first time in 16 months—songs from a mix of musical genres that reflect the rich diversity and sound of New York City, including “Funiculì, Funiculà,” “This Little Light of Mine,” “Hallelujah,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Bachata en Fukuoka,” and more.