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Born into a family of musicians, pianist Nikolai Nesterov is completing his Bachelor of Music degree in performance at the University of Calgary. Currently enrolled in the Advanced Performance Program at the Mount Royal Conservatory, he is also an alumnus of its Academy of Music for the Gifted Youth. His most recent teachers include Dr. Jani Parsons, Marilyn Engle, and his father, Dmitry Nesterov.
Since 2012, Nikolai has been an annual prize and scholarship winner at the Calgary Performing Arts Festival as well as the Canadian Music Competition. In 2022 he became the inaugural recipient of the Gordon Bell Scholarship in Music and Student Experience. For two consecutive years, he was selected for the Young Artists Development Program of Calgary’s Pro Musica where he gained valuable learning and performing experiences. In the summer of 2023, Nikolai had the opportunity to participate at the Gloria Artis Festival in Vienna, Austria, where he also made his debut performance in the Kleiner Ehrbar Saal. During his stay there he had the chance to work with renowned professors such as Lilya Zilberstein, Anna Malikova and Claudius Tanski. In 2024 he was selected as one of the winners for the RBC Concerto Competition at the University of Calgary.
Most recently, he made his debut performance of the first movement of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Nikolai also appeared as a soloist at the 2023 ProArts Society Concert Series, and the 2024 Music @ Noon Series at Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church. Additionally, he performs frequently alongside his parents, pianist Dmitry Nesterov and violinist Olga Kotova. Recent performances of them together include the “Stingray Classical Live at the King Eddy” concert series in 2020, and the ProArts Society Concert Series in 2019. Between 2016 and 2020, Nikolai was a three-time runner-up at the Calgary Concerto Competition. Furthermore, Nikolai is also an active member of the Peaks + Prairies Ensemble, founded by his brother, Lev Nesterov.
Nikolai has also performed and participated at summer music programs such as Orford Musique in Quebec, Alberta PianoFest, and the Comox Summer Youth Music Camp in British Columbia. He had the privilege of working with many renowned musicians including but not limited to Evelyn Brancart, David Jalbert, Henry Kramer, Rolf Bertsch, Jason Cutmore, Frederic Chiu, Jarome Lowenthal, Ursula Oppens, Orli Shaham, and Steven Lubin.
Nikolai is passionate about teaching piano and music theory, as well as regularly volunteering by performing for seniors at various Calgary and area senior homes. Besides music, Nikolai enjoys computer programming, the outdoors, and photography.