Nicolas Valencia is a Colombian-American violist who has performed at The Boston Early Music Festival, The British Isles Music Festival, The McKinney Philharmonic Recital Series, The Karen Tuttle Workshop Masterclass Series, The University of North Texas String Showcase, The Colombian Consulate in Houston, and The Meadowmount School For Strings. Nicolas won the Judge's Choice Outstanding Musician Award at the Texas Competition State Solo and Ensemble, and other awards include the KISD Award of Excellence in Music and the Outstanding Soloist Award at the Mark of Excellence National Orchestra competition Honors Competition. As a baroque musician studying with Paul Leenhouts and Cynthia Roberts, Nicolas performed as a soloist with the UNT School Baroque Orchestra and he has done various tours, including a tour of Europe and South America with the Fantasmi Baroque Ensemble. Nicolas has served as Principal Violist of the USC and UNT Symphony, Baroque and Opera Orchestras. He has been invited to play with Abilene Philharmonic, Richardson Symphony Orchestra, UNT Collabfest, Texas Woman's University Guest Artist Series and The New Spain Baroque Ensemble. As a recording artist, he has collaborated with modern, jazz and baroque chamber ensembles to record various albums, and was also honored to record a performance for The New York Baroque Dance Company. As an educator, Nicolas has been invited to lead master classes in both modern and baroque viola at the National University of Colombia, and worked as a teacher of viola in the Houston, McKinney and Denton Youth Symphony Orchestras.