Beatrice Nicholas: The Concert Pianist tearing up the Rule Book

On today's episode, I sit down with pianist and composer Beatrice Nicholas to talk about her journey learning piano and composing her own music, plus her advocacy for the next generation of classical pianists and the opportunities she's creating for young musicians. We also chat about her upcoming headline show at London's Ronnie Scott's, where she'll be spotlighting the work of African American women composersBeatrice Nicholas: Website: https://www.beatricenicholas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/beatrice_nicholas_pianist/✨New Episodes Every Monday✨Website 💻https://www.chordsandqueens.comLet’s Get Social 📱For more Classical Queens, follow us on: Video Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ChordsandQueensTikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@chordsandqueens⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chordsandqueens?igsh=eGlkYWgyN3hmMnhm&utm_source=qr⁠ Substack: https://substack.com/@chordsqueensTimestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:02 - Early Years in Music 2:14 - The Power of Music Teachers 4:42 - Making Classical Music Accessible 7:55 - The Moment Beatrice Knew She Wanted to be a Pianist 9:21 - Rewiring Classical Music 10:52 - Becoming a Composer14:34 - Beatrice the Amazing Astronaut 16:05 - Balancing being a performer and composer 16:51 - Black and Classical EP 19:53 - The Lack of Diversity in Composition 22:08 - Creating more opportunities for composers 25:19 - Upcoming Performance at Ronnie Scott's 28:30 - What the audience can expect at Ronnie Scott’s 30:30 - Does Beatrice have any Pre-Show Rituals? 31:00 - Advice for aspiring musicians and composers 33:25 - What piece written by a woman does Beatrice recommend? 33:49 - Outro