Nicholas Sokol is a composer, conductor, and pianist specializing in solo, chamber, orchestral, choral, and electronic music. Nicholas’ music has been performed throughout the United States and at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall. His music has been performed by members of the Chicago Civic Orchestra, members of the New World Symphony, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, and the Atlantic Music Festival New Music Ensemble. 

In this week’s playlist, we feature Mexican Compoers, Juan Pablo Contreras! He is a Latin GRAMMY®-nominated composer who combines Western classical and Mexican folk music in a single soundscape. He is the winner of the 2023 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music and is celebrated as the first Mexican-born composer to sign a record deal with Universal Music, serve as Sound Investment Composer with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and win the BMI William Schuman Prize.

This week on CMI Streaming’s New Classical channel, we feature holiday music by living composers. We’re all familiar with our holiday favorites, but contemporary composers are still writing new holiday pieces to celebrate the season.

This week’s featured artist on CMI Streaming’s Local Classical channel is iconic Indiana composer Cole Porter. Born to a wealthy family in Peru, Indiana, Porter’s grandfather sent him to Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, hoping he would become a lawyer.