Projects
New works in composition, recording, writing, and musical education rooted in beauty, tradition, and the living inheritance of Western music. From opera and chamber music to books and listening courses, these projects seek to create art that is intellectually serious, emotionally direct, and alive for the present.
Works in Progress
Jefferson Lives!
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, “Jefferson Lives!” by Polyhymnia presents a bold new operatic reflection on the American experiment through a musical language that is at once historical and strikingly fresh. The work freely integrates distinctly American musical styles with a vivid contemporary vocabulary, seeking to embody the freedom, excellence, and vibrant artistic spirit that shaped the nation’s founding imagination. Drawing directly from melodies rooted in America’s past and incorporating the historic words and ideas of the Founding Fathers into song, the opera immerses audiences in the exhilarating and dangerous atmosphere of the brave new world of American independence. Through this fusion of history, artistry, and dramatic storytelling, “Jefferson Lives!” offers not only a meditation on the nation’s origins, but also a living artistic vision of America’s cultural and creative identity.
James Harrigan’s Pop Culture Project
Drawing on Edward Tylor’s foundational definition of culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society,” this project examines what American culture is, how it has changed, and what those changes mean for the way we actually live. The central argument is straightforward: politics is downstream from culture, and culture has historically moved slowly enough to allow society to absorb and adapt to change. Technology has disrupted that pace, and the consequences — social, political, personal — are still unfolding. The project takes popular culture seriously as both a symptom and a cause, tracing how shifts in entertainment, media, and public life reflect and accelerate deeper transformations in American identity. Neither nostalgic nor dismissive, it aims to think clearly about what we have inherited, what we are losing, and what, if anything, might be worth preserving.
Dialogues
Dialogues is a CD project bringing together a deeply expressive collection of new works for cello and piano that explore the conversation between history and the present through melody, memory, and musical tradition. Centered on the rich partnership between the two instruments, the album moves between neo-romantic lyricism, Bach-inspired introspection, and bold reimaginings of historic melodies, including Variations on Hatikvah and a cello sonata drawing upon The British Grenadiers. Throughout the program, familiar musical voices are transformed into something fresh and personal, creating a recording that is both rooted in cultural inheritance and alive with contemporary artistic energy. Dialogues reflects a commitment to creating ambitious new chamber music that is intellectually engaging, emotionally direct, and accessible to broad audiences while honoring the enduring vitality of the classical tradition.
The Attentive Ear
The Attentive Ear is an ambitious and accessible book project exploring music not merely as entertainment, but as one of humanity’s most profound encounters with truth, beauty, memory, and transcendence. Drawing from philosophy, religion, history, and the Western musical tradition, the work invites readers into a richer and more meaningful way of engaging with music through attentive and transformative listening. Moving from the psalms and sacred song to Bach, symphonic music, and the modern cultural landscape, the project argues that deep listening is essential not only to artistic understanding, but to human flourishing itself. Written for general readers rather than specialists, The Attentive Ear seeks to recover a sense of wonder surrounding music’s ability to shape the soul, elevate culture, and connect people across generations through a living inheritance of melody and expression.
Receiving Vaughan Williams’s Symphony No. 5
Using the methods explored in The Attentive Ear, this listening course invites audiences into the profound and transformative experience of hearing great music deeply rather than passively. Centered on Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Symphony No. 5, a work described as possessing “transcendental,” “consoling,” and even “benedictory” beauty, the course guides listeners through repeated, attentive encounters with melody, form, memory, and emotional expression in order to cultivate a richer inner hearing and a deeper awareness of music’s spiritual and human significance. Participants will explore how Vaughan Williams transforms simple thematic material into a luminous symphonic journey shaped by serenity, mystery, and reflection amid the backdrop of a world at war, while also learning broader practices for engaging meaningfully with the great musical inheritance of the West. More than a lecture series, the project seeks to recover listening itself as a vital human art, one capable of shaping imagination, culture, contemplation, and the soul.
Completed Projects
Metropolis
Metropolis: The Piano Music of Joshua Nichols is a critically acclaimed album of contemporary solo piano music that blends the expressive depth of the classical tradition with the adventurous spirit of modern composition. Performed by acclaimed pianists Fanya Lin, Daniel Linder, and Jenny Lee, the recording presents a vivid musical landscape ranging from towering urban energy and dreamlike lyricism to playful fugues and introspective variation sets. Anchored by the monumental Metropolis Sonata, the album showcases Joshua Nichols’s distinctive voice: tonal yet contemporary, emotionally direct yet structurally sophisticated, drawing unapologetically from the breadth of music history while speaking in a fresh and compelling language. Praised by Fanfare Magazine as “an excellent disc” introducing Nichols’s “multifaceted music,” the project offers listeners a rich and imaginative journey through some of his major piano works to date.
You can purchase the album through Summit Records or stream/listen wherever you listen to music.
Christus factus est
Christus factus est is a newly commissioned motet for lay choir that brings together luminous harmonic writing, expressive clarity, and a deeply contemplative musical language rooted in the sacred choral tradition. Drawing on the emotional immediacy and structural refinement that critics have described as “astonishing,” “quick-witted,” and “marvelously clear,” the work creates an atmosphere of reverence and transcendence while remaining accessible and rewarding for community and parish ensembles. Balancing moments of intimate stillness with soaring climactic intensity, Christus factus est invites singers and listeners alike into a profound meditation on humility, sacrifice, and devotion through music that is both deeply rooted in tradition and vividly contemporary in expression.
Into the Light
Into the Light is a sweeping original symphonic ballet inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that brings together orchestral music, modern and classical dance, and vivid theatrical storytelling into a deeply collaborative artistic experience. Written for chamber orchestra and premiered to standing ovations, the work transforms the beloved Narnian mythology into a powerful musical drama filled with luminous wonder, emotional intensity, and cinematic scope, from playful childhood discovery and haunting winter landscapes to sacrificial love, resurrection, and triumphant renewal. Combining richly expressive thematic writing with contemporary ballet language and filmic orchestral underscoring, Stone and Light reflects a bold commitment to large-scale interdisciplinary art that is both emotionally accessible and artistically ambitious. The project stands as a compelling example of how new music, dance, and storytelling can come together to create transformative live experiences that resonate deeply with audiences and inspire the continued creation of similarly imaginative works.
You can see the premier of this ballet here: Into the Light, a Modern Ballet with Original Music “Stone and Light”
Hansel und Gretel
Hansel und Gretel is an ambitious symphonic poem for wind ensemble that reimagines the classic fairy tale through a sweeping and psychologically rich musical narrative blending the drama of the Romantic symphony with the cinematic intensity of modern orchestral storytelling. Moving far beyond a simple children’s tale, the work explores famine, fear, wonder, innocence, and redemption through vivid thematic transformation, expressive orchestration, and deeply human emotional contrasts ranging from childish delight to grotesque terror and luminous hope. Influenced by the grand tradition of symphonic poems, ballet, and late-Romantic narrative composition, the project demonstrates how contemporary concert music can engage broad audiences through compelling storytelling while still pursuing sophisticated artistic innovation. Through immersive live performance, evocative spoken introduction, and emotionally charged musical architecture, projects like Hansel und Gretel seek to revitalize the concert experience as a place of imagination, drama, and shared cultural wonder, bringing ambitious new large-scale works to life for modern audiences.
You can watch the premier here: https://youtu.be/GJauDCkZawY
DEI Ruins Excellence in Orchestral Programming
The article “DEI Ruins Excellence in Orchestral Programming” argues that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in classical music have shifted orchestral programming away from what the author sees as artistic merit and audience-centered excellence. The writer contends that orchestras are increasingly selecting repertoire based on demographic considerations, such as race, gender, or identity, rather than the historical stature or musical quality of works themselves. This trend risks weakening the traditional canon, alienating core audiences, and lowering programming standards in pursuit of institutional social goals. The author contrasts contemporary DEI-driven programming practices with older models focused primarily on musical achievement, while acknowledging that advocates of DEI argue broader representation helps correct historical exclusion and expand the repertoire.
