Dr. Nicholas Fife is a horn pedagogue and performer from Fort Mill, South Carolina. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina (2011), followed by his master's degree from Louisiana State University (2013), where he served as the graduate teaching assistant for the horn studio. Dr. Fife finished his DMA at the University of Texas at Austin (2020). His professional performing career began while attending the University of South Carolina, performing with Symphony Orchestra Augusta and the South Carolina Philharmonic. He has since performed with the Laredo Philharmonic, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Mid Texas Symphony, Louisiana Sinfonietta, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Tigerland Brass Quintet, Beaufort Symphony, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Freedom Brass Band, the Texas All Star Horn Professor Horn Choir and other ensembles in North America. In December of 2013 Dr. Fife earned the second horn position with the Beloit Janesville Symphony and performed with the orchestra until May 2015.

 

Nick's years of pedagogical experience include teaching horn and chamber music at Texas A&M International University and brass studies at Coker University, where he formed the Coker University Brass Ensemble. He currently teaches horn and music history at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

 

Aside from teaching and performing, Nick likes to spend his spare time composing works for brass and electronics. In June 2018, the Atlantic Brass Quintet premiered one of his compositions at the Mostly Modern Festival, which led to several commissions. Nick has over a dozen published works with Wavefront Music and Sheet Music Plus.

 

Dr. Fife recently founded the South Carolina Brass Band, which consists of college brass professors, band directors, orchestral musicians, freelancers, and community members. The goal of the organization is to bring British brass band music to the Palmetto state. His great hope for the organization is to combine brass band with his love of education by expanding the group to include youth brass ensembles in the near future.