Nicole Pinnell grew up in the cold land of Wisconsin where she grew up listening to trees, squishing dirt between her toes, and learning to make the cello speak the sounds of her heart. While still in her teens, Nicole played in Carnegie Hall, won national awards and toured Europe and the former Soviet Union. Nicole’s desire to embrace all sounds in this beautiful world has led her to study music with an African djeli, Indian guruji, and Peruvian shaman, as well as Chinese-American sensation Yo-Yo Ma. Currently, she is a student of the pioneering cellist Eugene Friesen, pursuing a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance at the Academy of Music and Sound (London).
Nicole’s first solo album, Away in A Manger: A Cello Christmas, which she arranged and produced with musicians Rebecca Pacheco and Nick Petty, charted #2 on the Traditional Classical Billboard. She is also soloist on many Billboard #1 Charting albums including Stand By Me, Picture This (Mat and Savanna Shaw), and Higher (Nathan Pacheco). Nicole is also the cello soloist on the Grammy-nominated albums Wish Upon a Star, Atmospheres, and Fire and Ice (Jenny Oaks Baker and Kaskade). Nicole’s solo playing is featured in a diverse variety of scores for film and TV, including Alpha and Omega, Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess, and The Book of Mormon videos, produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Nicole is in heavy demand as a concert artist. In just 2021, Nicole has appeared on screen in The Lamb of God Concert Flim,The Tonight Show with Olivia Rodrigo, The Deseret Book Sessions, and in Grace Notes with Nathan Pacheco. She has appeared on stage with the Utah Symphony in Deer Valley, Daddy Long Legs at the Hale Center Theatre, and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber at the Eccles. Nicole concertizes regularly with her classical group, the Uinta Trio, and is an award-winning composer (2019 AML Award Winner).
Nicole lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband Bryce McClure, their dogs Charlie and Sita, and a few garden spiders. Nicole loves to spend time with her kids and grandkids, teach, read, and grow plants. She can be followed on FB at Nicole Pinnell, or on Instagram @allthingscello. More on her arrangements and compositions can be found at nicolepinnell.com.