The Conductors
Todd Nichols
Artistic Director / Conductor
Todd Nichols credits include work as a music educator, conductor, and performer. As a conductor, Mr. Nichols has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago Illinois, and the National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Nichols has served as Guest Conductor for the NJ Region I Symphonic Band, NJ Region II Symphonic Band, NJ Region I Jazz Ensemble, Rutgers University Honor Band, FMI All-State Band and most recently the 2011 CMEA Region Youth Honor Band in Connecticut. He received his BA in Music from The College of New Jersey in 1998, graduating with High Honors and his MM in Conducting graduating with Highest Honors from Messiah College in 2010. Mr. Nichols has had the great privilege of collaborating with notable conductors and educators such as Eugene Migliaro Corporan, Mark Davis Scatterday, Dennis Fisher, Richard Crain, David Starnes, and Chuck Campell. He has also been honored to work with instrumental icons Phil Smith, Joe Alessi, Stanley Drucker, Allen Vizzutti, and legendary jazz artists Mike Vax, John Fedchock, Dennis DiBlasio, George Rabbai, Clem DeRosa, Joe Temperle, Rosanna Vitro, and Bobby Millitello.
Mr. Nichols is a frequent adjudicator and clinician for the high school and middle school level. He has adjudicated for the NJ Music Educators Association, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, Bands of America, and Drum Corps Associates. Mr. Nichols is an advocate for new compositions and has supported the efforts of various composers in numerous consortiums including John Mackey’s Harvest Concerto, written for Joe Alessi and premiered at the 2010 CBDNA Eastern Convention Joe Turrin’s Equinox, premiered at the 2011 CBDNA National Convention, and Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby. Mr. Nichols also premiered the compositions Furioso by Bruce Yurko and Symphony of the Gael: An American Wind Symphony by Robert Farnon. Mr. Nichols is currently involved with new commissions with Joe Turrin, Dana Wilson, and Bruce Yurko.
Mr. Nichols is currently the Artistic Director and conductor for The Eastern Wind Symphony, a professional wind ensemble dedicated to the ongoing development of the American wind band as a serious artistic medium. He has also recently been appointed conductor of the Imperial Brass Band, a professional British brass band. Mr. Nichols has assisted with the production of professional wind band recordings for ensembles including the Eastern Wind Symphony, Keystone Wind Ensemble, Rutgers University Wind Ensemble and Messiah College Wind Ensemble. Mr. Nichols produced an album of educational band music, available as part of the Distinguished Music for the Developing Band series on the Mark Custom Recording label, with the New Jersey Wind Orchestra, an ensemble of professional educators and musicians assembled for this single project. Mr. Nichols Roxbury Wind Symphony recordings of Stomp, Clap, Snap, Tango! and Turbulence both composed by Chris Bernotas, are currently being used as a demonstration recording by TRN Music and Bandworks publishing.
As an educator, Mr. Nichols’ concert, marching, and jazz ensembles have been recognized for outstanding performance at numerous local, state, and national festivals. His wind ensembles have performed at Carnegie Hall in 2006 and at the 2008 Music For All National Concert Band Festival and 2008 Midwest Clinic: An International Band and Orchestra Conference. His Roxbury Wind Symphony was the first concert band from the state of NJ to ever be extended an invitation to perform at this most prestigious clinic in the 65 years it has existed. His Roxbury Bands will once again return to both Carnegie Hall and the NCBF during 2011-2012. His marching bands have been awarded first place in the 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2007 USSBA NJ State Marching Band Championships, the 2007 USSBA Northern States Regional Championship, and the 2009 USSBA National Championship. Mr. Nichols’ jazz bands have accepted four consecutive invitations to the NJ-IAJE State Jazz Band Finals receiving first place in 2002. Mr. Nichols received the Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award in 2001 and has been included in the 2002 and 2004 editions of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.
Mr. Nichols is also a freelance percussionist in the New York Metropolitan area. He has performed with the Lincoln Center Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Pops, Princeton Symphony, Riverside Sinfonia, Garden State Symphonic Band, New Jersey Verismo Opera Company, The Orchestra of St. Peter’s, Trenton Symphony, Allentown Symphony, Pennsylvania Sinfonia, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and other various groups. In addition, Mr. Nichols can be found playing in many of New York City’s top hotels including the Waldorff Astoria, Hotel Pierre, Four Seasons, Metropolitan Club, Cipriani’s, The Rainbow Room, The Ritz Carlton, and The Plaza Hotel. Mr. Nichols has performed with the legendary artists Ray Charles and Marvin Hamlisch and was contracted to perform for the weddings of journalist Geraldo Rivera and pop music icon Billy Joel.
Mr. Nichols resides in Hillsborough, NJ with his wife Beth and daughters Sarah and Emily.
Adam Warshafsky
Assistant Director
Adam Warshafsky received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. During his time as an undergraduate student, he served as an assistant conductor of the University of Pennsylvania Wind Ensemble under the guidance of Dr. Ricardo Averbach. Adam also restructured the Penn Jazz Ensemble and brought it back to the forefront of performing arts at the university. He served as its interim artistic and administrative director until he collaborated with the university in securing a more permanent director to oversee it upon his graduation.
Upon graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Adam attended the University of Michigan where he received his master’s degree in music education with a focus on conducting. During his time in Michigan, Adam had the opportunity to study with a number of acclaimed conductors and music educators on faculty, including Michael Haithcock, Steven Davis, James Tapia, Scott Teeple, Jamie Nix, Betty Anne Younker, Sandra Snow, and Colleen Conway. As a saxophonist, he had the fortune of learning from one of our most treasured musicians, legendary saxophonist, Donald Sinta. During his time at Michigan, Adam served on the staff of the Michigan Marching Band and co-wrote the shows for the September 11th, 2001 memorial tribute and the 2001 homecoming show. He also assisted Professor Jamie Nix in teaching the marching band techniques course to music education majors.
To further his education, Adam has attended conducting clinics at the University of Texas and University of Michigan where he had the great fortune of learning from Jerry Junkin, Richard Floyd, Kevin Sedatole, Alan McMurray, H. Robert Reynolds, and Mallory Thompson.
In the fall of 2003, Adam was appointed the director of bands at Montgomery High School in Skillman, New Jersey. During his tenure, the band program has gained a reputation for being one of the strongest in the state. The Montgomery Wind Ensemble has performed at the New Jersey Band Conference, New Jersey State Band Gala, and consistently receives superior ratings at every festival it attends. In February 2011, the Montgomery concert band program performed a concert tour of southern Spain, playing concerts in Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, and Ecija. The ensemble was invited to be part of the arts festival in Toledo and was the band of honor at the Ecija municipal band celebration. Guest conductors of the Montgomery bands have included William Berz, Damon Talley, James Tapia, Darryl Bott, and Bruce Yurko.
Adam serves as the artistic director of the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra (GPYO) Wind Symphony, as well as the orchestral winds coach for the GPYO Symphonic Orchestra. GPYO performs concerts in the beautiful Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University and serves students from across the state of New Jersey.
Adam was appointed the assistant conductor of the Eastern Wind Symphony in July 2011. He is very excited to be a part of this fantastic group of consummate musicians who perform music for music’s sake.