The internationally acclaimed performer, teacher, clinician and adjudicator Hans Nickel was born in the Netherlands in 1958. He has held the position of solo tuba with the WDR Symphony Orchestra (West German Broadcasting Corporation) based in Cologne, Germany, since 1986. Nickel is Professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne, Professor at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf (incorporating the low brass of the Ausbildungsmusikkorps der Bundeswehr)and also Senior Lecturer for Tuba and Euphonium at the Hoogeschool Zuyd (Conservatoire)in Maastricht (Netherlands).
Hans Nickel is particularly popular with ERASMUS students from Europe, and with students from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and always has a very international class. He himself has visited both Zaragoza and Madrid in 2019 in Erasmus exchanges in his role as Professor. Many of his former students are now holding positions in orchestras worldwide, whilst others are teaching at prestigious institutes.
As an orchestral guest, Nickel has appeared with most European top orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle.
Brass Bands were a long-time hobby for Nickel and he was a member of the Dutch Championship Brass Band Limburg for several years, winning a host of soloist prizes with them, including the
European Soloist of the Year in both Rotterdam and Cardiff.
Hans Nickel frequently gives Master Classes and show-case recitals around the world, including Japan (University of Fine Arts, Tokio), Korea(Seoul), China and Russia. Nearer home he has been a
regular guest in Italy(Montepulciano), France (Paris, Surgeres and Avignon)and other European cities. In the autumn of 2017 he gave his first Master Class in Amsterdam on the invitation of his former
student and now solo-tuba in the Concertgebouw, Perry Hoogendijk. In a similar relationship he returned to Seoul in May 2018 to hold a Master Class together with a former student, and will returned
to China in August 2018 for the third time in 10 months for a week of Master Classes and to give a recital at the 1st Wuhan International Tuba Euphonium Summer Camp. In 2019 he gave a Master Class
and recital at the Tianjin Jinbao Musical Instruments Festival.
Hans Nickel performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician, particularly active in the field of contemporary music having premiered many new works for tuba including: Jan Van der Roost
(Obsessions and canTUBAllada, Riva del Garda, Italy, 1997 ITEC), Karlheinz Stockhausen (In Freundschaft 1996), Jan Bedrich (Dialogy per Tuba, Piano e Baterie) and Edward Gregson (USA prmiere
Alarum, Chicago 1995 ITEC), Hamers (Chameleon, Cardiff), Harrap (Klee-Blatt, Klee Ausstellung, Kunstsammlung NRW and Sonate für Tuba, Harfe und Schlagzeug, WDR Funkhaus Cologne) and Adler-McKean
(Engführung,WDR Funkhaus Cologne). As a chamber musician he has appeared all over the world, including performing at the Huddersfield Contemporary Festival, Holland Festival, Landgraaf Poezie
Festival and the Wittener Tagen für Neue Kammermusik, with groups as highly regarded as Belgian Brass Soloists, Ensemble Modern(Frankfurt), Asko Ensemble (Amsterdam), Music Fabrik
(Cologne), HR Brass (HR Frankfurt),the Blechbläserensemble der Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin) and many others. In the autumn of 2008 he formed together with colleagues from WDR the brass quintet
'Brass Consort Köln' with whom he has created an educational project for schools, has appeared on children's television and readio and performed in many festivals including the Aachener
Bachtagen.
He has performed the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto together with the WDR Sinfonieorchester, the Slowak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Noord Hollands Philharmonisches Orkest, the Staatsorchester
Braunschweig and the Philharmonischen Orchester Hagen. In 2014 he performed the John Williams Konzert für Tuba und Orchester together with the WDR Sinfonie Orchester in the Kölner Philharmonie. This
van be enjoyed on youtube.com/watch?v=GyiDwtve-LY and has to date attracted over 150.000 viewers.
I
Nickel has a multitude of recordings to his name encompassing the R.Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto with both the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (canTUBAllada), Tuba
Obsessions (Tuba Solo), Orchester Finalisten (Asko Ensemble), Nessun Dorma (Belgian Brass Soloists), Jazzpana- Grammy winner- (Vince Mendoza and the WDR Big Band), aus dem leopardizyklus(Ospald) and
new in 2018 a Bernstein CD together with Wayne Marshall. In the spring of 2020 he will be making a film for Arte of Stockhausen's Tierkreis. canTUBAllada was titled 'essential listening' by the
London Sunday Times. Visitors to the German cinema film "Der Führer" will recognize the unique sound of Hans Nickel on the film sound track.