Nick Kendall

“Kendall brought an improvisatory, rock star flair to [his] music, completely at home as he dug into the strings and soared into the stratosphere.”   - Cincinnati Enquirer

Praised by The Washington Post for his “warmth, energy, and exuberance,” Japanese-American violinist Nicolas Kendall has emerged as one of the most compelling musicians of his generation, increasingly recognized as an artist of uncompromising musical standards with an exhilarating combination of technique and passion.

Kendall’s dynamic performances place him in high demand as a soloist, chamber musician, and recitalist. While dedicated to the standard repertoire, Kendall’s affinity for contemporary and improvisatory music has led to numerous innovative collaborations. He performed the world premiere of Chris Brubeck’s violin concerto “Spontaneous Combustion” with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra in October 2007, with subsequent performances in 2009 with the Youngstown and the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestras. Written for Kendall, the piece’s three movements, Gifts from Prometheus, Elegy for a Summer Day, and Unbound, are a testament to his versatility. Brubeck writes, “This concerto fits Nick like a glove. It leaves him room to create in the heat of the moment if he feels it in his musical soul. I don’t know if anyone else could perform this work — they would have to play with fire, passion, rhythmic intensity and deftly integrate classical, jazz, country and even funk idioms.”

Kendall’s lifetime passion for uniting diverse musical genres was the driving force in uniting with two fellow Curtis Institute of Music graduates Ranaan Meyer (bass) and Zachary De Pue (violin) to create Time for Three (tf3). Hailed by Sir Simon Rattle as “monsters of ability and technique, conveyors of an infectious joy,” this groundbreaking, genre-defying trio performs repertoire that draws from indie, bluegrass, gypsy, jazz, classical and improvisatory styles. The band tours extensively around the world and performs in venues as diverse as its music, appearing as featured guest soloists with the Philadelphia Orchestra, opening for alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, and workshopping with terminally ill children at Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall Gang Camp.  tf3 has also toured college campuses across America, including extended residencies at the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California. In addition to rocking out for their rapidly expanding fan base (follow the trio on face book or twitter), tf3 is dedicated to bringing new compositions to the fore. In January 2008, Kendall and tf3 performed the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto 4-3 with the Philadelphia Orchestra and encore performances with the Pittsburgh and Wheeling Symphonies.

Following the success of Chris Brubeck’s collaboration with Nicolas on his solo concerto, tf3 in collaboration with eight U.S. orchestras commissioned Chris to write a new concerto called Travels in Time For Three. tf3 will also collaborate with William Bolcom in the 2012 season on a concerto commissioned by the Indianapolis and Baltimore Symphonies. Currently, tf3 is the ensemble in residence at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to Time for Three, Kendall co-founded the Dryden String Quartet with his sister and fellow Curtis alum Yumi Kendall (cello), cousin Daniel Foster (viola), Nurit Bar-Josef (violin), and the critically acclaimed East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO). Other chamber music appearances include concerts at the Encore Summer and Marlboro Music Festivals. As a soloist, he has graced the stages of Chicago, San Francisco, Cleveland, New York, Tokyo, and Chile. He has performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, John Corigliano’s Red Violin Suite, Kenji Bunch’s Fantasy, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires with esteemed ensembles including the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Hudson Valley Symphony, Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Wichita Symphony, Asheville Symphony, San Diego Symphony, among others. A prolific recitalist, Kendall’s experience includes performances in Washington, Naples (Florida), Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Frutillar (Chile), Tokyo, Boston, Tallahassee, and New York.

Kendall, a Washington, D.C. native, began playing the violin at three years of age and hails from a musical family. His grandfather John Kendall was the first string teacher in the United States to pioneer the Suzuki method.  In the spirit of this rich musical heritage, Kendall participates in numerous outreach activities nationwide. He produced several short films about his involvement with Chris Brubeck’s “Spontaneous Combustion” as an educational tool for music teachers that is now embedded in the music curriculum of the Anchorage (Alaska) public school system. Kendall has also collaborated on a number of pop albums and served as both composer and onscreen performer in three independent films. His wildly popular master classes build on education and experience with humor and a natural rapport with students. Kendall has presented these classes at Temple University, Peabody and the Curtis Institutes, International Suzuki Conferences in Chicago and Tokyo, Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Camp, and Teatro de Lago in Frutillar, Chile.

Additional information may be found on Nicolas Kendall’s website, www.nickkendall.com.