John Nichol

John Nichol, Professor of Saxophone, has taught at Central Michigan University since 1980.  Professor Nichol has performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Montreaux, Switzerland (1997), the North Sea Jazz Festival at The Hague, Netherlands (1997) and the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival (2000, 2001, 2002).  Professor Nichol has also performed by invitation at seven World Saxophone Congresses: Chicago, Illinois (1979), Nuremberg, Germany (1982), Kawasaki, Japan (1988), Valencia, Spain (1997) and Montreal, Canada (2000), Minneapolis, Minnesota (2003), and St. Andrews, Scotland (2012).  Professor Nichol has performed with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, the Lansing Symphony Big Band, the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the Saginaw Bay Orchestra, the Flint Symphony Orchestra, the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and the Midland Symphony Orchestra. Professor Nichol has also performed with Hal Linden, Jim Nabors, Pat Paulsen, Rich Little, Maureen McGovern, Areatha Franklin, the Temptations, Four Tops, Martin Short, Doc Severinsen, Bernadette Peters, Jerry Lewis, and Carol Channing in Hello Dolly.  

Professor Nichol has earned two Teaching Excellence Awards from Central Michigan University (1997, 2008) and also received from CMU the Lorrie Ryan Excellence in Teaching Award (2008).  Professor Nichol is an active adjudicator for the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association and has taught saxophone and coached saxophone ensembles at the Interlochen Center for the Arts (2005-2009). Professor Nichol can be heard on Flights of Fancy (Centaur Recording, 2003), Caught in the Act (White Pine Music, 2007), Woodwind Echoes (White Pine Recording, 2008), and Conspiracy Theory (White Pine Music, 2010).  Professor Nichol’s many saxophone ensemble arrangements can be purchased from Watchdog Music.  John Nichol is a Vandoren Performing Artist, a Yamaha Performing Artistis, and Past President of the North American Saxophone Alliance.