About me:
An ongoing aspiration of composer-cellist Nicholas Denton Protsack (b. 1994) is to seek new connections between music and the natural world. Called a "(composer) to keep a close eye on" by the Canadian Music Centre, Nicholas’ ecologically inspired music frequently explores and blends notated mediums, recorded mediums, and experimental improvisations. His works have been performed internationally in a variety of concert settings, including frequent performances in North America, Europe, and New Zealand.
In 2025, Nicholas was named the SOCAN Emerging Composer in residence with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He is also the winner of a BMI Foundation SCA Award, and several SOCAN Young Composer Awards. His recent commissions have included new works for Stroma Ensemble (New Zealand), the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Toronto Summer Music Festival, and the American Prize-winning Ensemble for These Times (E4TT).
Nicholas is also an active professional cellist that focuses specifically on new music. His projects as a cellist are often collaborative in nature, and frequently span both classical and avant-garde genres. He is a founding member of Moth Quartet in New Zealand as well as the Canadian-based groups Branchroot Ensemble and Sounds Like Things. While his main focus lies in chamber music, Nicholas has also performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra.
Nicholas is the founder and artistic director of Whatnot Records, a genre-defying independent music label that specializes in producing, promoting, and distributing experimental music in all its forms. Since early 2023, Nicholas has released a variety of collaborative and solo projects on the label, as well as music by other artists. His aim in the near future of Whatnot Records is to release a wider variety of experimental music, featuring an extensive roster of emerging and established artists from around the world.
Nicholas recently completed a PhD in music at Victoria University of Wellington, where he studied under composers Michael Norris and Dugal McKinnon. His other mentors in composition include David Garner, and his major cello teachers include Jean-Michel Fonteneau, Jennifer Culp, Judith Fraser, and Morna Howie.
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Composer-cellist Nicholas Denton Protsack (b. 1994) strives to find new connections between music and the natural world. Called a "(composer) to keep a close eye on" by the Canadian Music Centre, Nicholas’ music incorporates notated mediums, recorded mediums, and experimental improvisation. His works are performed internationally, including frequent performances in North America, Europe, and New Zealand.
Recently, Nicholas was named the SOCAN Emerging Composer in residence with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He is also the winner of a BMI Foundation SCA Award, and several SOCAN Young Composer Awards. Nicholas's recent commissions include works for Stroma Ensemble (New Zealand), the Toronto Summer Music Festival, and Ensemble for These Times (E4TT).
Nicholas’ projects as a cellist are often collaborative in nature, spanning both experimental and classical idioms. He is a founding member of Moth Quartet in New Zealand as well as the Canadian-based groups Branchroot Ensemble and Sounds Like Things.
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BMI Award-winning composer-cellist, Nicholas Denton Protsack (b. 1994), strives to unify music and environment. Called a "(composer) to keep a close eye on" by the Canadian Music Centre, Nicholas works in notated mediums, recorded mediums, and improvisational frameworks. His music is frequently performed in North America, Europe, and New Zealand.
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