Nicholas Halbert

Nicholas Halbert is an organist from San Diego, CA. His musical career began at eight years old as a Boy Chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral, where he would also soon begin to study organ under Canon Martin Green. Nicholas was appointed the Organ Scholar at the Cathedral at the age of 16, and held the position for two years before being accepted into the Eastman School of Music. His position at the Cathedral required him to accompany the choirs and provide voluntaries at both the weekly Mass and Evensong services, as well as giving several recitals over his tenure. From his time as a Boy Chorister to his time at the organ console, Nicholas has been immersed within the English Cathedral tradition, and has a deep love for this beautiful repertoire and tradition. Upon attending Eastman, he studied organ in the studio of Nathan Laube, and harpsichord and fortepiano with Edoardo Bellotti, graduating in 2017 with a B.M. in Organ Performance. At Eastman he also prepared an honors thesis under the guidance of Glenn Mackin entitled "Democracy in the Concert Hall" for which he was awarded a B.M. in Musical Arts. Nicholas is a tenor and studies with Enrique Toral when he is in San Diego. As a recitalist, Nicholas is in demand performing at venues around San Diego, as well as at the Regional Convention of the AGO held there in 2015. He will be attending Southern Methodist University in the Fall to pursue an M.M. in Organ Performance in the studio of Stefan Engels. In addition to his busy musical schedule, Nicholas has a variety of colorful hobbies. He is a docent at the Whaley House Museum in San Diego, "America's Most Haunted House," where he gives tours sharing stories about life in California during the Victorian era, as well as legends of the supernatural in Old Town. He loves to body-surf when the water gets above about 62 degrees, and he enjoys attending the summer season at the Del Mar Racetrack.