MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Dr. Nicholas Felder (he/him) is an acclaimed Black queer composer-vocalist, violinist, educator, and activist who creates art around identity, communal joy and healing, and youth empowerment. Nicholas’s musical style draws from a wide range of traditions, including symphonic, folk, gospel, blues, musical theater, R&B, and soul. He enjoys collaborating closely with filmmakers, playwrights, lyricists, and storytellers to create music that deepens character, emotion, and narrative. Nicholas’s recent projects include composing for a short film series with the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) and a musical with playwright and librettist Sandra Seaton, premiered at Theatre Y in Chicago. Nicholas has also composed music for ensembles and organizations across the country, such as the Hawai’i Youth Symphony, the University of Michigan Converge Quartet, The Museum of Boulder, Mivos Quartet, Kennesaw State University Symphony Orchestra, and the DC Youth Orchestra Program.

As an arts educator, Nicholas has led programs and workshops with numerous arts organizations, such as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, and Sphinx Organization. He loves to encourage young adults to express their social and political views through artmaking.