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Nicole Brancato
Nicole Brancato makes music to unlock wonder. Fascinated with contemporary expressions of our shared human experience, the NYC-based pianist merges curation, composition and performance in collaborations across the arts. Described as “brilliant” and an “immense talent” (New York Magazine and Connect Savannah), Nicole is “redefining the very notion of music” (Atención San Miguel). Her credits range from the Guggenheim Museum and Rai Italia (television network Italy) to the Banff Centre and the “underground” performances in Brooklyn factories and warehouses.
An awardee of National Sawdust’s Hildegard Commission (2022 Finalist), Nicole has curated more than 70 productions featuring 100+ compositions and commissions over the last decade. Described as a “piano virtuoso” (The Daily Gazette, Saratoga Springs), Nicole focuses on the kinetic energy exchange in performances — with both her collaborators and her audience. Such collaborations range from .soundfullness — a salvaged piano installation that transforms outdoor spaces into places of deep listening — to partnering with artist/author Sam Morris in “wait-list-only” performances at actor Alan Cumming’s NYC Club.
A frequent guest presenter of workshops, master classes, and residencies, Nicole has delivered sessions for the Gesellschaftshaus Magdeburg, Germany; Indiana University; and for the Sphinx Organization. In 2022, she joined Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival in Lynchburg, Virginia as Director and a distinguished Artist in Residence.
Awards
National Sawdust Hildegard Commission Finalist, 2022
Queens Council on the Arts, 2022
Dwight and Ursula Mamlok Foundation, 2021
The Ross McKee Foundation, 2021
New York City Artist Corp, 2021
Queens Council on the Arts, 2020
Tags
“[a] visionary artist”
Broadway World
“Nicole Brancato, a Pianist Like No Other”
Frederic Dannen, Atención San Miguel
“piano virtuoso”
The Daily Gazette
“impressive… immense talent”
Connect Savannah
“[her music] was a beam of light bouncing off the walls of the theater”
Joshua Barone, The New York Times
“Brilliant”
New York Magazine