Isabelle Nichols
Cellist
Cellist Isabelle Nichols has cultivated a vibrant artistic life centered on chamber music, collaboration, and a deep commitment to contemporary performance. As a co-founder and core member of the NYC-based Karuna Quartet, she appears regularly in major New York series, including the Juilliard Fall Festival, the Juilliard Station Rush Hour Series, and the Westside Chamber Players Series.
Her earlier work with the Meraki Quartet brought national recognition, including medals at prominent chamber music competitions and an appearance on NPR’s From the Top. Over the years, Isabelle has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Nicola Benedetti, Karen Gomyo, Andres Diaz, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Bella Hristova, the St. Lawrence Quartet, and the Alexander String Quartet. A devoted advocate for new music, she has also worked closely with composers Matthew Aucoin, Nicholas Britell, and Karim Al-Zand.
Isabelle’s performances have taken her to leading concert halls around the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein, the Elbphilharmonie, the Berliner Philharmonie, and Alice Tully Hall.
She is currently pursuing her graduate studies at The Juilliard School under the mentorship of Astrid Schween, supported by the Juilliard Scholarship and the Kenneth Bohn Memorial Scholarship. Her previous training includes studies with Norman Fischer, Bonnie Hampton, and Tanya Tomkins, as well as masterclasses with Emanuel Ax, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Éric-Maria Couturier, Johannes Moser, and Colin Carr.