Described as a "deeply expressive" and "superbly intuitive" collaborator, Dr. Nicholas Pothier [he, him] is a Chicago-based pianist, conductor, and coach. His musical interests include opera, musical theatre, art song, chamber music, solo piano repertoire, and choral music. Nicholas has been involved at Utah Festival Opera, Lyric Theatre at Illinois, Opera Saratoga, Opera NEO, Thompson Street Opera Company (IL), Winnipesaukee Playhouse (NH), Peabody Conservatory Opera, and the Russian Opera Workshop, as well as serving as founder and music director for Opera on the Rocks, during its 2021 virtual season. He has also worked as music director for collegiate and community theatre throughout New England. He enjoys work as a freelance musician in recital, with choral and instrumental ensembles, and as a pit musician and as featured soloist with orchestras and other large ensembles. 

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Favorite opera and musical theatre credits include: Gianni Schicchi, Anything Goes, Trial by Jury, A Little Night Music, Le Nozze di Figaro, Lohengrin, She Loves Me, The Tender Land, Fun Home, City of Angels, The Turn of the Screw, A Hand of Bridge, Vanessa, Don Giovanni, Così Fan Tutte, Pique Dame, Oliver, Pippin, Urinetown, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Kiss Me, Kate, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Mary Poppins, among others. He is an admirer of contemporary works and has participated on many performances and workshops (including several Beth Morrison projects) of new pieces, most recently The Last Word and Forever with Thompson Street Opera. 

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As a piano pedagog and coach/pianist, Nicholas has served on the faculties of the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, and Saint Anselm college. His duties included maintaining piano and coaching studios; accompanying recitals, studio classes, masterclasses auditions, and performances, and teaching class piano. He also maintains private teaching and coaching studios consisting of beginning students to professional musicians. His teaching emphasizes the importance of collaboration and sets student goals and ambitions to the foreground. 

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Nicholas is currently music director at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park, IL.  Throughout his career as a church musician, he as served as music director, organist, pianist, and choir director at varied communities: Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal (Nashua, NH), Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal (Champaign, IL), Patapsco/Lodge Forest UMC (Dundalk/Edgemere, MD), St. Christopher's Episcopal (Hampstead, NH), and Lee Church Congregational (Lee, NH). 

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In addition to his life as a keyboardist, Nicholas is a trained singer and cellist, and often enjoys extra-professional performing opportunities in those roles. Outside of music, he is an avid baker, yogi, and runner, and enjoys spending lots of time outdoors with his two dogs: Gabe and Luke. 

 

Additional Musical Skills:

Organ,  Harpsichord (including continuo/figured bass reading), Celesta, Lead Sheet, MainStage (performance and basic programming), Orchestration and Arranging

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