Performing and Conducting
The Last Name Orchestra
The “Last Name” Orchestra is an ensemble Nicholas formed and directed since his sophomore year at Boston University. The ensemble was offered to primarily School of Music underclassmen, with a mission statement to provide more prominent orchestral roles to these developing musicians.
After the success of the first concert, he was awarded the Boston University Provost’s Continuing Scholar grant; and tasked with directing, producing, and premiering three one-act operas.
Currently, the ensemble is working towards performing a concert of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. The creation and directing of this ensemble has let me develop my conducting and administrating skills to an advanced level. It has been an incredible learning experience.
Nick Salerno New Music Ensemble
During his work with his orchestra, Nicholas found a passion for premiering new music. He decided to create a new ensemble dedicated to playing newly composed pieces. This came to fruition with a new music multimedia project titled Bred in Stillness. This project features music from Sam Dvorin and poetry written by Emma Delarosa. The project has created a documentary about the making and rehearsal of the work, a movie-like recording of the piece, and a live performance done within the College of Fine Arts’ Commonwealth Gallery. Currently, he is preparing to perform Maurice Delage’s Quatre Poems Hindous in the College of Fine Arts’ Concert Hall.
Performance
I have performed with many different ensembles spanning across Boston University’s campus ensembles as well as extracurricularly. Ensembles of note are: Boston University Symphony Orchestra, Boston University Wind Ensemble, Boston University Pep Band, Boston University Marching Band, and the BU Off-Broadway Pit. Performances of note include: Mahler’s Symphony No.2 at Boston’s Symphony Hall, the End of Year Extrvaganza with BU Athletic Bands at Faneuil Hall, and the premiere of Ken Amis’ Legacy in concert. Nicholas has studied under Terry Everson, David Martins, and James Burton.
