Confronting the immediacy of life, the compositions of John Nichols have been described by listeners as “cosmic,” “seismic,” and “tectonic.” Nichols has received international recognition for his electroacoustic works, and has had compositions performed at events such as Gaudeamus Muziekweek, International Computer Music Conference, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, and Society for Electroacoustic Music in the United States –among others. His works are honored with awards such as the 2014 Luigi Russolo Grand Prize & 1st Luigi Russolo Award (France, Spain), First Prize Absolute in the electro-acoustic music section of the 2014 International Composition Competition “Città di Udine” (Italy), First Prize in the 2014 ASCAP/SEAMUS Student Composer Commission Competition (USA), First Prize in the 2013 WOCMAT International Phil Winsor Electroacoustic Music Young Composers Awards (Taiwan), and winner of the 2013 Conlon Music Prize for Disklavier Plus (Netherlands). His compositions were also recognized in the 2013 Prix Destellos (Argentina), the 2012 Métamorphoses Composition Competition (Belgium), and the 2011 Morton Gould ASCAP Young Composer Competition. His electroacoustic compositions are published on Exhibitronic, Musique & Recherches, SEAMUS, Monochrome Vision, and ABLAZE Records. Nichols was selected as the winner of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts “The Commission” 2016 with collaborator, Professor Anne Ferrer. The interdisciplinary work “Composite” combines sculpture with music and was featured at the ST’ART Strasbourg European Art Fair in November 2016. Nichols performed his composition “GATES” at Diffrazioni Multimedia Festival in Florence, and delivered guest lectures at Paris Université 8, Northwestern University, Georgia Southern University, and others. Nichols travelled to Morellia, Mexico in Spring of 2017 to deliver a concert at the esteemed CMMAS and debuted his “Control Station” MIDI-to-Light Interface and upgraded MIDI-to-Motor Interface at the event. Nichols gave the US premiere of the Control Station at NYCEMF (New York City) in June 2017.
Nichols attended University of North Texas, Triton College, Chicago College of the Performing Arts/Roosevelt University, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After graduating, he worked in teaching and administration for about a year at Northwest Suburban College, in the Chicago suburbs. In 2017, He started working in the Chicago live theatre scene as a professional freelancer, and worked over 100 productions for around 80 companies in various roles such as composer, sound designer, audio engineer, audio technician, lighting/electrics technician, carpenter, projections technician, technical director, driver, promotional model, and background actor, until the theatres abruptly shut down in 2020. At that time, Nichols moved from Chicago, and eventually settled in Florida, working at the University of Tampa, where he taught classes in electronic music, composition, computer ensemble, and music theory.
In mid-late July 2022, initially heading to Miami, Nichols underwent a series of epiphanic experiences and completely changed course, leading to an encounter with the Holy Spirit (see John 3:3). At this point, he submitted himself to God, the truth of Christ, and accepted life through the Grace of God. As part of the process, it was necessary for him to undergo a period of total separation from society, giving up an attitude overly rooted in the world. He re-entered society in January 2023, and now works as a church musician in Arizona, living between Scottsdale and Payson.