Michael Nicolella

Who is Michael Nicolella?

Michael Nicolella is an American classical guitarist and composer. Described as an iconoclast, he is known for his versatile, adventurous and eclectic approach to repertoire, including the incorporation of electric guitar into his concert programs and recordings. While his repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the present, his past four recordings have focused on contemporary music, including his own compositions, alongside those of Toru Takemitsu, Elliott Carter, Luciano Berio, Hans Werner Henze and Steve Reich; and championing music by such emerging composers as Laurence Crane and Jacob ter Veldhuis. He has premiered many works written for him by other composers, including: Joshua Kohl, David Mesler, Christopher DeLaurenti and John Fitz Rogers, who in 2001 wrote the forty-five minute piece Transit for Nicolella, scored for electric guitar and computer generated sound. His own compositions include works for solo guitar, chamber music with guitar, a classical guitar concerto, and an electric guitar concerto.