Nicholas Canellakis, Cello

Biography

Cellist Nicholas Canellakis has performed throughout the United States and Europe to critical acclaim. In The New York Times his playing was praised as "impassioned,"  "with striking sensitivity," "the audience seduced by Mr. Canellakis rich, alluring tone."

Mr. Canellakis is a member of the prestigious Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two, with which he has performed frequently in Alice Tully Hall and toured the country.

 He is a frequent guest artist at Bargemusic in New York City, and has concertized in venues such as Weill and Zankel Hall,  the Kennedy Center, Jordan Hall, and Disney Hall. He has performed at the festivals of Santa Fe, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, Mecklenburg, Sarasota, Verbier, Aspen, Moab, Sedona, and Music from Angel Fire. 
 
 Mr. Canellakis made his debut with orchestra at the age of 11 after winning a concerto competition, and has since been soloist with numerous orchestras, performing the concertos of Dvorak, Haydn, Saint-Saens, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations and the Brahms Double among others.

Mr. Canellakis was a founding member of the Vertigo String Quartet, which received First Prize in the Musicatri International Competition in Italy in 2006. The quartet received a Barrymore Award by the Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia for unusual collaboration with the Arden Theatre in the production of the acclaimed play Opus. Mr. Canellakis was a top prizewinner in the Johansen International Competition in Washington, D.C., and was selected to be  principal cellist of the New York String Orchestra and the Haddonfield Symphony.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Orlando Cole and Peter Wiley, he served as principal cellist of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. He holds a Masters degree from New England Conservatory, where he worked with Paul Katz and was the recipient of the Gregor Piatigorsky Award. He also was a Fellow in the Academy of Carnegie Hall, the Juilliard School, and the Weill Institute.

Mr. Canellakis is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division.

Filmmaking is a special interest of Mr. Canellakis.  He has produced, directed and written several short films, which can be found online at www.youtube.com/nick5072