We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Brancato recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Creatives are often typed by society as rebels and risk-takers. And to much of the world, the very notion of existing outside the bounds of a salaried nine-to-five is a perilous act in and of itself. But the reality is that the arts – like any other field – is full of one-size-fits-all life paths. Deciding to step off of those well-worn paths is one of the most unnerving things an artist will do in their practice, but the immense rewards in fulfillment, authenticity, and purpose far outshine the risk.

We each have an inner voice that nudges us in the right direction if we choose to listen, and over time, I’ve learned to listen closely when it speaks. My life as a musician began much like any other: decades of mentorships and training; constant preparation for concerts, competitions, and conservatory demands; and endless dedication and commitment to learning a traditional craft. Traditional music studies have a way of funneling young creatives into a tiny set of parameters. If it were up to musical academia, a budding musician would do one of two things: perform or teach.

This “either/or” scenario always seemed narrow and confining to me, but choosing to expand my possibilities and find my own answers meant searching outside of my years of training and conditioning. My initial steps away from a traditional path were the most difficult and felt overwhelmingly risky, but since first dipping my toes into boundary-pushing projects and cross-disciplinary collaborations over ten years ago, I’ve never felt more in sync with my inner voice as an artist. And that authenticity translates into genuine partnerships, career successes, and deep artistic fulfillment.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Fascinated with contemporary expressions of our shared human experience, I merge curation, composition, and piano performance in collaborations across the arts. My credits range from the Guggenheim Museum (NYC) and Rai Italia (Italy) to Bellas Artes (Mexico), the Banff Centre (Canada), and Gesellschaftshaus Magdeburg (Germany).

Based in New York City, I make music because I believe unlocking a sense of wonder in audiences connects us to our shared human experience, and I believe it’s through these connections that we can collectively move toward a better world. I am passionate about social activism, and in particular about climate change. Over the last decade, most of the projects I’ve taken on have centered around the issues of accessibility in the arts, environmentalism, and queer activism.

An awardee of National Sawdust’s Hildegard Commission (2022 Finalist), I’ve curated more than 100 productions featuring 200+ new compositions and commissions over the last decade. Described as a “piano virtuoso” (The Daily Gazette, Saratoga Springs), I focus on kinetic energy exchange in performances — with both my collaborators and audiences. Such collaborations range from “.soundfullness” — a salvaged piano installation that transforms outdoor spaces into places of deep listening — to partnering with artist/author Sam Morris in “wait-list-only” performances at actor Alan Cumming’s NYC Club.

A frequent guest presenter of workshops, master classes, and residencies, I have delivered sessions for Hunter CUNY, Indiana University, the Sphinx Organization, and institutions abroad. In 2022, I joined Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival in Lynchburg, Virginia as Director and a distinguished Artist in Residence.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the most common bits of wisdom given to aspiring artists is to always say yes to an opportunity. There are, of course, many benefits to this mindset on paper – you’re likely to expand your boundaries as an artist in more ways than one, and to earn the reputation of being someone open and willing to work.

As you grow into your artistic practice, there comes a point when you have to be more discerning with “yeses.” Your time is more and more sought after, and you are more in tune with what resonates with your creative voice. Giving a “yes” to every opportunity leads to burn out and dissatisfaction with your work. Worse, it can leave the larger vision of your artistry up to chance – your work becomes more determined by external forces than your own mindful choices.

Inevitably, the decision behind each opportunity comes down to these four things: the people involved, the passion behind the project, the prestige of the opportunity, and the potential profit. (You might argue that the time commitment is a fifth factor!)

For any possible opportunity, the more of these aspects that are present in a positive way, the more likely the work will feel worthwhile. It took years of trial and error on my part to realize this, and now I consider each of these factors carefully when making career decisions.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Collaboration is integral to my work, and my intersectional partnerships have sensitized me to communicating across disciplines and cultural differences. I’ve built a habit of finding shared concerns and forging uplifting partnerships to reach mutual goals.

I’ve found that each new collaboration is an opportunity to create a distinct shared language – a way of understanding one another and approaching our artistry, which forms naturally over time. As a musician, I find it deeply rewarding to find shared ground with artists from other disciplines – from visual to performing artists, technologists, and beyond – and to work together to create a special means of communicating.

As a partnership grows, I gradually get inside my collaborator’s unique perspective – the personal ways in which they view the world and how they choose to express what they see – and in turn, they can understand mine. I’ve learned so much through this process, which intensifies a core belief I have: what people can make together is more than the sum of its parts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nicolebrancato.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n.brancato/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.brancato.7/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-brancato/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnTH5UdhpqIQjNgyEQjAtgg

Image Credits
Adam Sisler Nina Galicheva Rita Taylor