Nicolas Scherzinger

Setnor School of Music

Associate Professor, and Chair, Music Composition, Theory, and History
Program Coordinator

Nicolas Scherzinger portrait.

120B Crouse College
Syracuse, NY 13244-1010



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Composer Nicolas Scherzinger (b. 1968) is associate professor of composition at the Setnor School of Music, where he teaches composition, theory, improvisation, and digital music. Scherzinger has received awards and commissions from ASCAP, SOCAN, the Barlow Endowment, the Jerome Foundation, the Canada Council, and the Eastman School of Music, and his music has been performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Russia, as well as in Taiwan and China.

Recently, his works have been premiered or performed at such venues as the International Viola Conference, the World Saxophone Congress, the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, the International Double Reed Conference, the Yamaha and the New York Viola Society Day of Progressive Viola, the Aspen Music Festival, the International Gaudeamus New Music Festival, the Seal Bay Festival, Composers, Inc., Lincoln Center, and at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Many distinguished artists have performed Scherzinger’s works, including John Graham, Bradley Lubman, David Gilbert, Sydney Hodkinson, Christopher Marks, Joseph Lulloff, Julia Nolan, Randall Hall, the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, the USC Thornton Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Cassatt String Quartet, the Ethos Percussion Group, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Society for New Music, and the Meridian Phase II ensemble. His works have been broadcast on WCNY, WBFO, and CBC RadioTwo and recorded on Raven Compact Disks and Innova Recordings.

Recent commissions include a work for piano trio premiered at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in May 2008 by Lisa Tipton, violin, Alberto Parrini, cello, and Adrienne Kim, piano. The Syracuse University Trumpet Ensemble premiered a new work at the International Trumpet convention in Banff, Canada, in June 2008. Most recently, Joseph Lulloff, saxophone, performed Shadowed for soprano saxophone and interactive computer on tour in the USA and Russia. Calico Dances, a work for viola and electronics, has been performed nationally and internationally by violist John Graham, including Aspen, New York City, and China, with an additional performance in San Francisco by Composers’ Inc, Victor Romasevich, viola, in February 2007. Colloquy, a work for solo violin and chamber ensemble, received its New York City premiere at Merkin Hall in May 2009 by the new music ensemble Sequitur, with Andrea Schulz, solo violin. In 2006, Shimmer, a work for piano quintet, was performed at the Sealbay Festival in Maine, the Kinhvanen Music School (faculty concert) in Vermont, and was premiered at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall by Meridian Phase II.

In 2006 and 2007, Fractured Mirrors was performed by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, the USC Thornton Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Strasbourg, France-based ensemble Accroche Note (at both Syracuse and Cornell Universities), and at the Kinhaven Music School (faculty concert). In January 2008, Elegy was performed at Rose Studio at Lincoln Center by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Erin Keefe, violin and Gillles Vonsattel, piano, and was performed again at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in March 2010 by Lisa Tipton, violin and Adrienne Kim, piano. The Tarab Cello ensemble premiered 8, a new work for eight cellos, at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, with additional performances in Syracuse and Ithaca, New York., in March 2009. In 2005, Five Pieces for Organ was released on the CD Discoveries by organist Christopher Marks on Raven Records. In 2007, Schismwas released on the CD Neither Proud Nor Ashamed: New Music for Saxophone by Randall Hall, saxophone, on Innova. In 2009/2010, Fractured Mirrors was released on the Society for New Music’s 2-CD set of seven commissioned works on Innova.

Scherzinger is composer-in-residence at the Kinhaven Music School in Vermont, 2006 to present. He is a member of ASCAP, the American Music Center, and the Society of Composers Inc., and his works are published by ScherziMusic Press. In addition to his work as a professional composer and educator, he is active as a performer of improvisatory works for saxophone and interactive computer.

Scherzinger received a master of music and doctor of musical arts in composition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York (1995-2000), and a bachelor of music in saxophone performance from Western Washington University (1986-1991). He has studied composition with Roger Briggs, David Liptak, Augusta Read Thomas, Christopher Rouse, Allan Schindler, and Joseph Schwantner.

Education

  • D.M.A., Eastman School of Music
  • M.M., Eastman School of Music
  • B.M., Western Washington University

Expertise

Composition, ear training, electronic and digital music, and improvisation