Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haïti, Dr. Canès Nicolas is Assistant Professor of Strings and Director of Orchestra at Friends University. He received his first musical training at the l’Ecole de Musique Sainte Trinité. At the age of eight, he began learning violin with Guerlyn Esperance and eight years later he joined the Holy Trinity Philharmonic Orchestra, the premiere orchestra in Haiti. Dr. Nicolas is frequently asked to share his knowledge and love of music at various lecture series, music camps and adjudications, and is the principal guest conductor of both the Holy Trinity Philharmonic Orchestra and Sainte Cécile Philharmonic Orchestra in his hometown.
Dr. Nicolas received his DMA degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he was the Associate Conductor of the symphony orchestra. He also holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Ohio University and a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He has studied conducting in Europe and the United States with such teachers as Dumitru Goia, Steven Huang, Keith Lockhart, Dr. Tyler White and Markand Thakar. Prior to joining the faculty at Friends University, he taught at Missouri Southern State University, Southern Utah University and Wayne State College.
Education:
Bachelor of Arts Music, University of Minnesota Duluth; Master of Fine Arts Orchestral Conducting, Ohio University; Doctor of Musical Arts Orchestral Conducting, University of Nebraska-Lincoln